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great Strefs of the Crime, and confequently of the Infamy and Danger attending it, in the Text, is in the Teaching Men to break God's Commandments. To be fure they are both Wickedness, Secret or Open; yet the Open has much higher Degrees of Aggravation. For, first, it has moft of Boldness or Impudence in it; it has that which the Prophet calls, The Whore's Forehead; when Men are not ashamed of their Sin, and hide it not. Secondly, It has moft evil Confequences in drawing in, and corrupting others. And Thirdly, it is much more incorrigible, because more headftrong and rooted. While we can bring a Sinner to blush and to be afhamed, there is much greater Hope that Remedies will work upon him, for then he is still struggling with his own good Inclinations, with the Checks and Remorfe of his own Confcience, and wants but a little Help of good Counsel, to ftrengthen his weak Refolutions, and to extricate him entirely out of the Snare of the Devil; he's then very capable of receiving good Admonition, and has fomething within him that joins in with it. But when his evil Deeds once grow Publick and Scandalous, that he owns and defends them, and makes it his Bufinefs to corrupt others, and to be as it were a Profeffor and Teacher of Vice, a Ring-leader in evil Courses, he's quickly hardened againft all Means of Grace, and has not Patience to hear, far lefs to yield to good Advice. Such a Difference there is between Secret and Scandalous Sins.

4. But Lastly, the highest Degree of Aggravation of this Sin in my Text, is the Teaching of Immorality not only by our Example, but by our Doctrine, Advice, Authority, Countenance, Encouragement,

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[SERM. couragement, and all those other Methods whereby we are capable of fhewing our Zeal for it. The Apostle St Paul describes fome who not only do ill Things, but have Pleafure in them that do them. Rom. i. 32. So there are too many who give all the Demonstrations of Zeal and Industry for propagating and teaching their wicked Opinions, fuch as over-turn the Foundations of all Morality; and encourage Atheism and Libertinism in the World; and fo do what in them lies to carry whole Shoals along with them into Perdition.

II. Having given this Description of the Sin of Breaking or diffolving the Moral Law; it will be no wonder that our Saviour fays here in Punishment of it, that fuch Perfons as are guilty of this Sin fhall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven; that is, fhall in the Day of Judgment be accounted the very worst of all those who have given up their Names to Chrift, and profess Chriftianity: and shall be punished accordingly. For understanding the Juftice of which Sentence, we need but compare the feveral Sorts of bad Chriftians together, and we shall eafily perceive how These in my Text are the worst.

(1) First then, we may reckon among Bad Chriftians, Hereticks and Schifmaticks; who from grofs Errors they have imbibed, the one concerning the Articles of Faith, the other concerning the Discipline and Government of the Church, feduce Men into Herefie and Schifm; but tho' both these are exceeding bad, yet I cannot think either of them fo bad as the feducing of Men into Immorality: Because, while even good Men are liable to Error, it is no hard Matter to imagine how a fmall Degree of Pride and Self

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conceit may drive thofe Errors to Herefies and Schifms; and we ought to have fo much Charity, even for Hereticks and Schifmaticks, as to believe they follow their own erroneous Confciences in what they do; whereas they who go about to destroy Morality, may very well be fupposed to act quite contrary to the Light of their own Minds and Confciences.

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2. A worse Sort of Chriftians than thefe, I reckon fuch Chriftians who ufe fome weak and faint Endeavours to do their Duty, but are born down with the Prevalency of their Lufts and Corruptions, and fo live in a Contradiction to the Sentiments of their own Minds and Confciences; but yet do not approve themselves in these their evil Practices, far less justify and defend them, or strive to gain in Profelytes to them. It will appear upon the firft Sight that there is more of Weakness than Wilfulness in the Tranfgreffions of this Sort of Chriftians; at least that they are much more modest Sinners than those defcribed my Text; who are not only corrupted themfelves, but strive to feduce and corrupt others. 3. A Third much worfe fort of Chriftians than either of the former, are the formal Hypocrites, who for their own By-ends take upon them the Profeffion of Chriftianity, and tho' they may do a great Deal outwardly to answer that Profeffion, yet fecretly they give up themselves to whatever Wickedness they are inclined to, or find it their wordly Intereft to practife. They put on the Christian Profeffion only for a Cloak, that they may more commodiously pursue their own Ends. Yet even these are nothing near fo bad as the Chriftians in my Text, who are wicked Livers

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[SERM. Livers themfelves, and make it their Bufinefs to debauch and corrupt others.

4. This Fourth Sort I reckon to be by much the worst; as paying not fo much as external Honour to God; but being open Factors for the Devil; and therefore it is not fo much to be wondred, I think, that they fhould be adjudged to be the leaft and unworthieft in the Chriftian Church, here 'called the Kingdom of Heaven; as that they should be reckoned any Part of it at all. For indeed we may well wonder what should tempt fuch Men to take upon them the Christian Profeffion; and why they do not rather choose to abandon it altogether, and declare openly for Atheism and Licentioufnefs. But there may be feveral Reasons, why, tho' their Lives are fo immoral, they choofe rather to retain the Profeffion of Christianity; particularly these two or three. First, there being feveral Secular Advantages in Christian Countries annexed to the Profeffion of Christianity, it is no wonder that fuch Men, for the Sake of these, should be unwilling to abandon the Profeffion. Secondly, Being feduced by falfe Principles, perhaps they think to find out an eafier Way to Heaven, by the Way of Orthodoxy of Opinions, and partial Obedience, without that Strictness of Life, which the Gofpel enjoins. Thirdly, Perhaps tho' they lead wicked Lives, they may have fome Fancy of escaping at last by the Plank of a Death-bed Repentance; and fo to make an Attonement at once for the whole Courfe of an ill spent Life by this dangerous Doctrine. But my Text informs us what Sentence our Saviour will pafs upon all fuch; and that of all those who profess

profefs Chriftianity, they fhall be degraded to the lowest Rank, and punished accordingly.

For it is not the Profeffion of Chriftianity, without a fuitable Life and Converfation, that will avail any one towards the Salvation of his Soul; as our Saviour hath told us most exprefly in this fame Sermon on the Mount, where he acquaints us that it is not the Profeffion of his Name, but the doing the Will of his Father in Heaven, which will be accepted in the great Day of Accounts. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will fay to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name? And in thy Name have caft out Devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful Works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that Work Iniquity, Matt. viii. 21, 22, 23. And if all this Profeffion, and all thefe Gifts, will not fave the Workers of Iniquity, how much lefs will it fave them, who are both Workers and Teachers of it?

So much for the First Thing I propofed to confider from the Words; namely, the heinous Sin, and grievous Punishment of Tranfgreffing the Rules of Morality, prefcribed in the Moral Law; and teaching Men fo to do. I find Time will not ferve to handle the other Part of the Text, namely, the commendable Practice of recommending a perfect Morality by our Example as well as our Doctrine, and the glorious Reward attending it; from thefe Words, But whofoever fhall do and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

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