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whom it is plain, from the Words immediately following, our Saviour had in his Eye; for they by their Doctrine and Example both, expounded away confiderable Parts of the Moral Law, as he proves by and by, by many Particular Inftances. 3. This was a more elegant Expreffion, confidering the Punishment that here follows, of being called The leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven: for the two together, the breaking one of the leaft of the Commandments, and the being called leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven, make an elegant Figure in Rhetorick, called Antanaclafis: where the fame Word is twice repeated, but in a different Sense.

II. We are to enquire what is meant by being called leaft, and called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. By the Kingdom of Heaven here, I understand the Chriftian Church, as very commonly it is taken in that Senfe; not the true Believers, whom we call the Invifible Church; but those who profefs the Chriftian Religion; of whose Sincerity or Infincerity Chrift is afterwards to pass Sentence. And this Sentence I take to be the judging or calling here fpoke of. So that the Meaning of the whole Verfe is, as if we should fay in other Words; "That Chriftian who fhall

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by his bad Life and loofe Principles and Doc"trine, evacuate the Obligation of any Part of "the Moral Law, when Chrift comes to pafs "his righteous Sentence on Men according to "their Deserts, shall be judged to be in the very "loweft Form of all those who profess Chriftia

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nity, even lower than Hypocrites themselves; "and be punished accordingly. Whereas, on "the contrary, they who do their best both by their Life and Doctrine, to establish

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"good Morals in the World, thall be adjudged eminent Perfons, that have done great "Service in the Chriftian Church, and be re"warded accordingly."

This Senfe I think answers the Phrase of being called leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven, much better than if with fome other Commentators, I fhould interpret the Kingdom of Heaven here, to be the Kingdom of Glory; and the Expreffion of Leaft in that Kingdom, to fignifie to be totally excluded from it. For tho' they come much to the fame Senfe, the Words will bear the one without any Constraint; but not the other; for it is very easy to apprehend, how the lowest Rank of Chriftian Profeffors fhall be excluded the Kingdom of Glory; but it is not fo easy to apprehend how the lowest Rank of them, who are admitted to the Kingdom of Glory, fhall be judged unworthy of it.

From the Words thus explained, there are two Things present themselves to our Confideration.

I. The Heinous Sin, and the grievous Punishment of breaking any of the Precepts of the Moral Law, and teaching Men fo to do.

II. The commendable Practice of recommend→ ing a perfect Morality by our Example as well as Doctrine, and the glorious Reward attending it.

I. I go now upon the Confideration of the heinous Sin of breaking any of the Precepts of the Moral Law, and teaching Men fo to do: Or the Sin of teaching Immorality by Example and Doctrine. Whosoever shall break one of the leaft of thefe Commandments, and fhall teach Men jo. This Sin has in it thefe Four apparent Aggrava

tions:

1. In that an Error in Morals, is more dangerous than a mere Speculative Error.

2. In that the Corrupting of Others is an higher Pitch of Wickedness than only tranfgreffing our felves.

3. In that scandalous Practice, which tends to the Corruption of others, is the most dangerous Sort of evil Practice.

4. In that the joining of vicious Counsel, and the propagating of wicked Principles by our Intereft, Skill, or Authority, is yet an higher Degree of Wickednefs, than the doing it by evil Example alone.

1. First, I fay this Sin is aggravated here, in fo far as an Error in Morals is more dangerous than a meer Speculative Error. This Obfervation I think, doth fairly rife from the Words; for if we mind it, it is only the Practical Errors, the Tranfgreffions of Morality, which our Saviour degrades into the lowest Rank. And I And I apprehend there may be very good Reasons for it, for Speculative Errors can neither be fo dangerous, nor are they so easily known as practical ones.

(1) First I fay, Speculative Errors, which have no Influence on the Life and Converfation, cannot be near fo dangerous as thofe Errors which lead Men out of the Way of their Duty. As in a Voyage at Sea the Mafter, and Seamen, and Paffengers may chance to fee several Objects, and very friendly and innocently may differ in their Opinions about the Names and Natures, and Colours, and Shapes, and Properties of them; and yet none of all thefe Opinions, the most True, or the most Erroneous, either furthers or hinders their Voyage; but if they should be in an Error

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in ufing a bad Compass, or in not knowing the Tides and Currents, the Rocks and Shelves; if they should run rafhly on the Shore in the Nighttime, by not keeping a Right Reckoning, thinking themselves far enough from Land; these are Errors of fatal Confequence; fuch as fuch as may endanger the Ship and Voyage. Juft so it is in Errors of Opinion, with Relation to Speculative and Prac tical Matters. The Speculative, fuch as have no Influence at all on Practice, are a very innocent Sort of Errors, in comparison of the other, which endanger our Voyage to Heaven. And of this laft Sort are all Errors in Morals, by which we are apt both to feduce our felves and others; every the leaft Deviation in them leads by Degrees more and more out of the right Way, which, if unperceived or unminded, will carry us very far in a wrong Courfe; and therefore it is no wonder our Saviour pronounced fo emphatically in this Matter, that Whosoever shall break one of the leaft of thefe Commandments of the Moral Law, and fhall teach Men fo, he shall be accounted among the unworthieft of Chriftians.

(2) Practical Errors fall much more within our Knowledge and Cognizance than Speculative ones, and for that Reafon are more Criminal; whereas Speculative Errors are often mere Sins of Ignorance, and for that Reafon have very little of our own Fault in them; unless it be the Rashness of wading beyond our Depth, when we should have kept within our own fhallow Line; and therefore we should weigh well what is, and what is not revealed; and what falls within the Compafs of our own Comprehenfion, and what doth not.

VOL. II.

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2. A

2. A Second Aggravation of this Sin in the Text is, that it includes in it the corrupting of others, as well as the doing ill Things our felves; for these two are joined together, the breaking the Commandments, and Teaching Men fo; whatsoever way this teaching is, whether by Example, or Advice, and Doctrine. Now there cannot be a greater Aggravation of any Crime than this is, to feduce Mankind into finful Courfes; This is the very Work of the Devil, who delights in Mifchief; and this is the countermining our Bleffed Saviour, whofe Contrivances were all for the Good and Salvation of Mankind. And therefore they whofe Authority or Example have Influence in leading or misleading of others, had need to take a most particular Care of their Conduct, being a Thing of fuch mighty Confequence both to themselves and others. As in a Fleet of Ships, that Ship which carries the Light, and leads the reft, especially in any dangerous Paffage, has a vast Care and Truft upon her; and if the ftrikes against the Rocks, all that follow her are in danger of perifhing with her. And this leads the Way to the other two Aggravations of this Sin; namely,

3. That of all Sorts of evil Practice, that which tends to the feducing of others is the worst. While evil Actions are fecret, and carefully hid, either under a Veil of Shame and Modefty, or under a Cloak of Hypocrifie, tho' they are always bad enough at beft yet they are not near fo Criminal or Dangerous, as when they are publick and avowed; and by the fcandalous Example of them make as it were a Party for Wickedness, and draw in Abettors and Followers. For, as I take it, the

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