berties, or Lives, never conſidering the Cauſe for which they are fo purſued : But they are quite miſtaken ; for that Man who 1s purſued by ſuch Violence, and hunted upon this Account ; be cauſe to pleaſe Men, he durſt nor fin againſt God, but Labours ro keep a Conſcience wid of offence, both toward God, and toward Men, Adts 24. 16. is a Bleſſed Man , and if he be hunted our of the Kingdoms of the Earth, yer he ſhall be hunted bur ro Heaven : tor ro ſuch Men belongeth the Kingdom of God in Glory, Fames I.12, 1 Pet. 3.14. and 4.13.
11 Blefled are ye when men ſhall revile you, and perſecure yor, and {hall fay all manner of evil againſt you fallly for my ſake. |
Reviling, and ſpeaking Evil of Perſons falſly, becauſe of their Proteffion of Chriſt, and becauſe chey dare nor fin againſt God, 15 a Species of Perſecution, Gen. 21. 9. Gal. 4. 29. tho? the lows- eſt Degree of ir. It hath been the conſtant Lot of God's Ser- vants ; David ſaid, Pſal. 35.11. that falſe Witneſſes did riſe up, and /aid to his Charge things that he knew not. Thus John and Chriſt were ſerved, Matth. 11. 19. Luk. 7. 34. Nor is it to be won- dred, thar thoſe whoſe Conſciences are ſo ſeared, that they can- nor feel the Guile of Perſecuring others for Righteouſneſs ſake, ſhould nor feel the Guilc of Lying and falſe Swearing : Bur, faich our Saviour, you are Bleſſed when cheſe chings happen unto you, I Pet. 4. 13,
12 Rejoyce, and be exceeding glad ; for great zs your reward in heaven : for ſo perſecuted they the Prophets which were before you.
Be ſo far from being troubled, as to count ir all 7oy, when you fall into theſe Tryals, = I. 2, let it be Muſick in your Ears, to hear that the Drunkards make you their Song : Rejoyce in your Hearcs, expreſs ic in your Lips and Behaviour ; [ For great s your Reward, ) nor of Debt, bur of Grace ; for our light and momentary 4jflietions are nor worthy to be compared with an eternal and cxceeding weight of Glery ; Where there is no Propor- tion, chere can be no Merir, eſpecially when it 5s given to us on the behalf of Chriſt to ſuffer, Phil. 1. 29. Peter upon this Argu- ment ſaith, 1 Pet. 4. 14. The Spirit of God and of Glory reſteth upon us. Our Saviour adds : | For ſo they perſecuted the Prophets before You. ] The Magiſtrates, and the Rulers of the Fews, perſecured Elijah, Micaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and the reſt of the Prophers whom you ſucceed z nor in Time only, but in the fame Office of revealing the Mind of God to the People.
13 Ye are the ſalt of the Earth : but if the falr hath loſt irs favour, wherewith ſhall it be falred ? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be caſt our, and to be rroden under foot of men.
In our Chriſtian Courſe we arc not to trouble our ſelves with what Men ſay of us, and do unto us, bur only to attend co our Duty of Holineſs, and an Exemplary Life ; which is whar our Saviour preſſeth plainly, v. 16. And leads his Hearers to ic by four Compariſons, which he inſticurerh berwixte chem and four other things : The firſt we have in this Verſe, [ 7e are the ſalt of the Earth. © The Doctrine which you profeſs 1s lo; a thing as oppolite as can be to the Putrefatticn of the World, both in reſpe&t to corrupt Dottrine, and corrupt Manners, ( therefore by che way, it will be no wonder it they refiſt ic by Reviling and Perſecuting you, ) you are the Salt of the Ezrth, through the Grace +1 G.d befſtc::ed upon you, /*i4r. 9. 50. Col. 4. 6. If it were not t'c che number ot Sound and Painful Miniſters, and Holy and Gracious Perſons, che Earch would be bur a ſtinking Dunghi} or Drunkards, unclean Perſons, Thieves, Murderers, unrighreous Perſons, that would be a ſtench in the Noſtrils of a Pure and Holy G::d. Look as it 1s in the World, if the Salt hath loſt ics 1avour, 1s Acrimony by which ir oppoſeth Putre- faction in Fith and Fleth ; not the Fiſh or Fleſh only will be good tor nochinz, but the Salt it 1elf fo infatuated ( as it is in the Greek _) vill be gocd for nothing, bur ro be caft upon a Dung- hil, and troden unaer foot. So 1t is with Miniſters of the Goſpel, fo with che Prc#etlors of it ;, if they have loſt their Soundneſs in the Faith, and Holineſs of Lite,they are of no value, nay, they are worte than other Men. Money, if it be clipt in pieces, and hatch loft irs uſetulnets as Coin, yer 1s of uſe tor a Gold-ſmith : Meat corrupted, if *© will not ferve for Men, yer will feed Dogs : Salt is good tor nothing. No more are pretended Miniſters or Chriſtians ; rheir Excellency lies in their favour; if char be loſt, iwherewith ſhall they be ſaired ? Of whar uſe are they, unleſs ro cauſe the Name of God and Religion to be blaſphemed ? Such another Similicude the Prophet uſerth, Ezek. 15. 2, 3.
14 Ye arethe light of the World : A City that is ſet on an hill cannot be hid.
You that areto be my Apoſtles, are fo Eminen?ly ; bur all you thar are my Di{ciples are ſo alſo. Chriſt is the Light of the World, 7Foh. 1. 5, 9. Bur tho” the Sun be the Light of the Worid, yer ic doth nor tollow, thac the Moon and the Star alfo are nor fo; he is the Original Light, the great Light who hath Light from and in himſelf. The Miniſters of the Goſpel are the L1ghts of the World alſo, rhe Angels of Churches are Stars, Rev. 1. 20. and Holy Perſons are Children of the Light, 1 Toefſ. 5. 5. | A City that is ſet upon an Hill cannot be hid. \ The Church is otren called zhe City of God : Chriſt compares his People here ner to a Ci?y, bur ro a City upon 4 Hill; fo thar all which our Saviour mentions 4 City here for, is the Confpicuicy ofa City fo buile. Ir 15 as much as if our Saviour ſhould have faid, You had need be Holy, tor your Converſation cannor be hid, any more chan a City can thac 1s builded upon an Hill, which is obvious co every Eye. All Mens Eyes will be upon you.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it un-
Chap. V.
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4 Luk. 16. 6 7.