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and with a concern about what will become of them at death and judgment, and through a long vaft eternity; let them remember, that it is better to bear that yoke, for a while, till the Lord himfelf give an outgate, though they thould be called mad and melancholy both, than to bear the yoke of God's everlafiing wrath, which will be wreathed about the necks of all defpifers of God and godlinefs.Sometimes this reproach is occafioned by the different difpofitions that true religion works upon its followers, from that of the world. True godliness makes a man leave all finful pleafure and delight, as well as all finful profit and gain and this being contrary to the way of the world, the man that is thus mortified to the world, is prefently cenfured for melancholy whereas no pleasure in the world is comparable to the pleasure of religion; "Wifdom's ways are pleafantnefs." And religion is fo far from being a melancholy, uncomfortable thing, that nothing fills the religious man with more grief and melancholy than this, that he is not religious enough; and that he thinks he hath no religion. Some profpect of eternal happiness, in Chrift Jefus, freedom from divine wrath, communion and fellowship with God, and religion, in the life and power of it, is the beft antidote against melancholy that I know and the greatest advancer of fober mirth, and fpiritual gladnefs.

In a word, manifold are the marks of reproach faftened upon trae religion, and its friends. Sometimes they are reproached as monfiers of ingratitude to the world, becaufe they will not humour and please them, in the way of wickednefs; because they will ferve them only, USQUE AD ARAS, according to the Latin proverb; that is to fay, As far as is lawful,' and no farther.-Sometimes they are reproached as monsters of wrath and fpite, while their zeal for God comes under the name of anger, and canker, and rancour. The meek of the earth can bear injuries againft themfelves: but if they cannot bear the injuries that are done to the honour of God; if they cannot bear evil, as it is faid to the commendation of the church of Ephefus, Rev. ii. 2.; then they are cenfured and ftigmatized for hot-headed

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zealots. If they be faithful in reproving of fin, and tefiifying against other general defections, or particular enormities, then they are ready to meet with the prophet Micaiah's entertainment; "This fellow never fpeaks good of me."-Sometimes they are reproached as bunglers and babblers, Acts xvii. 18. The Athenian philofophers, Epicureans, and Stoics encountered Paul, and infulted him faying, "What will this babbler fay?"-Sometimes they are reproached for the very grace of God itfelf, that appears in them; Gal. iv. 29. "He that was born after the flesh, perfecuted him that was born after the Spirit." So alfo it is now and the perfecution here especially pointed at, was that of fcorning and mocking, viz. as Ifhmael mocked Ifaac. And, indeed, mocking and derifion, which arifes from an hatred and contempt of our brother, is a degree of murder; "But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, without a cause, fhall be in danger of the judgment: and whofoever shall fay to his brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the council: but whofoever shall say, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire," Mat. v. 22. Here RACA fignifies all figns and geflures that exprefs contempt; fuch as, hiffing, and flouting, and looking contemptuously on our brother. Now, the mocking wherewith Ifhmael mocked Ifaac, proceeded from the contempt and hatred of the grace of God in Ifaac; which Paul obferves, when he fays, that he perfecuted that which was born after the Spirit. Thus Cain hated his brother, becaufe of the grace of God in him; because his deeds were good, 1 John iii. 12. A great part of the fufferings of Chrift ftood in this, that he was mocked for his confidence in God, Pfal. xxii. 8. Mat. xxvii. 43. The children of Bethel mocked Elifha, 1. For his perfon, faying, "Go up thou bald-head; go up thou bald-head." 2. For the grace and favour of God fhared to Elijah his master, faying, Go up, or afcend, as Elijah did; go up, not to Bethel, as fome remark; but go up to heaven: and this profane fcorning he curfed in the name of God. Let this learn children to beware of being mockers of the godly: the curfe of God lighted upon these children; and fhe-bears came forth out of the wood, and tare to pieces forty-two children of them,

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them," Kings ii. 23, 24.Now, thefe are fome of the many marks of reproach, that are caft upon religion, and the followers of it, while they are for signs and for wonders in Irael.

IV. The Fourth thing was, To give the reafons of the doctrine, whence it is, That Chrift and his children have been and are thus for figns and wonders in Irael: or, why they have been, and are thus ftigmatifed with marks of reproach and contempt. And,

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1. They are for signs and wonders, because they are not known, 1 John iii. 1. The world knoweth us not, because it knew not him." The world know not Chrift, and therefore they abufed him if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Chrift was defpifed becaufe the world knew him not, John i. Fo. 1 Cor. ii. 8. The world did not know the dignity of his perfon, that he was the Son of God: yea, when he called himfelf the Son of God, they called him a blafphemer, and ftoned him. They did not know the excellency of his doctrine, otherwife they would never have faid, that he deceiveth the people. They did not know the defign of his coming, or that he was the Saviour of the world, and was to die that they might live. They did not know him in the power of his refurrection, or the fellowship of his fufferings; and, therefore, they reproached him. The world doth not know his followers and friends neither: though the world may know them, with refpect to their outward circumftances, yet the world doth not know the people of God. The world doth not know them in their fpiritual relation to God, as being the children of God. The world doth not know them in their spiritual state of favour and friendship with God. The world doth not know them in their spiritual privileges, graces, and endowments. The world doth not know them in refpect of their love to God, and God's love to them, and his difpofition toward them. The world doth not know them in their acts of faith toward a God in Chrift. The world doth not know them in their fecret duties, and fecret fellowship with God: their life is hid with Chrift in God. As in a frofty night the ftars

will appear to them that live in, that climate; while thofe that live in another climate, cannot difcern them: fo will the graces of the godly appear, like fo many gliftering diamonds, to the fpiritual difcerning of thofe, who live in the fame fpiritual climate. But the world cannot fee them; they live in another climate; "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: they are foolifhnefs unto him." The world doth not know them, in refpect of their ufefulnefs; how ufeful they are to bring down blefings on thefe among whom they live; and how useful they are, in holding off many fad judgments; fo ten righteous men, in Sodom, would have faved it from deftruction. The world doth not know them in thefe refpects; they do not know them because they are fpiritually blind: they do not know them, because they do not converfe with them; they do not keep company with them; they may outwardly trade with them, but have no fpiritual correfpondence with them. And, O how excellent are the ways of God, which none reproach, but thofe that know them not!

2. They are for figns and wonders in the world, be caufe they are not like the world; they are unlike to the wicked. As men will wonder at a perfon that is not like other folk fo they are for wonders, becaufe they, are a different fpecies from the world; yea, they are men of another world, John xv. 16, 17.: where you see the world hates the people of God, because they are like Chrift, who was hated of the world; and because they are unlike unto the world they are new-born; and have another nature they are ftrangers here, and have their face fet toward another world. They are many ways unlike the world. The world and they are objects of different affections; the one is loved, and the other is hated of God. They are fubjects of different Lords, viz. God and the devil: and thefe two Lords command contrary things; they promife contrary rewards, and they threaten contrary punishments. The devil. commands men to ferve their lufts; he promises them temporal pleasures, and he threatens temporal miferies to thefe that will not ferve him. Now, God's commands, promifes and threatenings, are of another nature and fo there

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there is vaft odds between the one and the other, while they are fubjects of different Lords; the godly being brought from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God; the wicked being led captives by Satan, at his pleasure; he rules in the hearts of the children of difobedience: yea, the god of this world blinds their eyes; and fuggefts all manner of evil unto them, and fills them with prejudice and enmity against the faints-But then, as they are objects of different affections, and fubje&s of different Lords, fo they are perfons of different principles, that they act from: the one acts merely from the flesh, the other acts from the Spirit: contrary fpirits act them feverally; "Ye have not received the fpirit of this world, but the fpirit which is of God."Further, they are a people of different ends, whether we confider the end propofed by them, or the end defigned upon them. As to the end propofed by them; the godly man propofes the glory of God, as his great and ultimate end: the wicked man propofes the fatisfaction of his own lufts, as his end. As to the end defigned upon them; the end of the godly man will be, that he fhall enter into the joy of his Lord, to be for ever with him: the end of the wicked will be, that he fhall be turned into hell, to be tormented with the devil and his angels.--Now, feeing they are every way fo unlike to the world, no wonder that they be for figns and wonders in the world; for, "What fellowship hath righteoufnefs with unrighteoufnefs? Or, what concord hath light with darknels? What communion hath Chrift with Belial? What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. Now, because they are fo unlike the world, and cannot follow the courfe of the world; therefore they are reproached therein "They think it ftrange, that they run not with them, to the fame excefs of riot; fpeaking evil of you,"

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1 Pet. iv. 4.

3. They are for figns and for wonders in the world, becaufe they are enemies to the way of the world. The wickednefs of the world is a vexation to them; "For that righteous man Lot, dwelling among them, in seeing, and hearing, vexed his righteous foul from day to day, with their unlawful deeds," 2 Pet. ii. 8. "An unjuft man is an

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