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Profeffion and Practice of Christianity, we fhould have had nothing but Hypocrify, Diffimulation, open Idolatry, Lying, Equivocating, Perjury, Cowardice, and the Fear of Men preferred to the Fear of God. And could all this have been confiftent with Chriftianity? There was no Middle Way left but this of the Crofs, a Way, indeed, full of Difficulties, and unpleasant to Flesh and Blood, but brave, and honeft, and honourable, and leading directly both to inward Peace, and to an ample Reward in Glory.

So much for the first Thing I propofed to confider at this Time, namely, why fuch an high Degree of Reward is promised to them that fuffer for Chrift. I fhould proceed next to the other Confideration in the Text, for our rejoicing, when we fuffer for Chrift or our Duty, namely, the Ufage of the Prophets; For fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you: As if he had faid, "It is no new Thing that good Men, efpe"cially fuch as have been fent to reform the "World, have met with fuch bad Treatment in "it: Take the Prophets for an Example both of "the Wickednefs of the World, and of the Pa" tience of the Saints.' But this Topick of Direction and Confolation I have not now Time to confider as it deferves, and shall therefore refer it to another Opportunity.

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God bless what we have heard, and to him, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Praise, Honour, and Glory, Might, Power, and Dominion, for ever and ever, Amen,

SERMON

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For Jo perfecuted they the Prophets, which were before you.

The Ninth Sermon on this Text.

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UR Saviour having, in the Beginning of this Verfe, exhorted his Difciples to Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, whenever they should be put to fuffer for him or their Duty; doth immediately back that Exhortation with two Arguments or Encouragements: One is, that their Reward for their patient Suffering fhould be great in Heaven; and the other, that the Prophets in their Days had met with the very fame Usage.

Now having formerly spoke to the Exhortation, and likewife to the firft of the Encouragements, the great Reward referved for fuch Perfons in Heaven; I proceed now to the fecond, taken from the Example of the Prophets, For fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you. As if he had faid, "Ye have all Reafon to rejoice, "when ye come to fuffer for well-doing; for as "this was the conftant Lot of the Prophets, "thofe good Men who went before you in the "Office of reforming Mankind, and in prepa

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ring Men for the Kingdom of the Meffiab; fo they have left you an Example of patient Suffering under all their Perfecutions.

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In fpeaking to the Words, and for pursuing our Saviour's Intention in them, I shall apply my felf to these three or four Particulars:

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I. To fhew, in general, that it is Matter of Comfort and Joy to be found in the fame with good Men that have gone before us, and to meet with the fame Treatment that they have met with from the World.

II. To clear up the Matter of Fact, by fhewing how the Prophets were reviled, calumniated, and perfecuted in their Days, for doing their Duty.

III. To confider the Parity of Reafon between the Circumftances of the Prophets, and thofe of our Lord's Difciples.

IV. To draw fome Inferences with relation to our Duty, both from the good Examples of the Courage and Patience of the perfecuted Prophets, and from the bad Examples of the perfecuting World.

1. First, in general, That it is Matter of Comfort and Joy to be found in the fame way with good Men that have gone before us, and to meet with the fame Treatment that they met with from the World. This is the Foundation, as I apprehend it, upon which this Argument of our Saviour's is built. As in travelling in an unknown way, it is both a great Comfort, and great Security, to have skilful Guides along with us, fuch as are univerfally acknowledged to be very expert in

391 it; fo in the Conduct of our Lives through this wretched World, what greater Comfort can there be, than to have the Company of the Prophets and Apostles, who, by the general Confent of all, are the fureft Guides in the way to Heaven?

Now to fet this in a clearer Light, if it were not too great a Digreffion, it would be proper enough to confider upon what good Grounds this Comfort, from the Example of the Prophets, is built, viz. upon their being infpired by God as to their Doctrine, upon the bright Examples of their Lives, their patient Sufferings, and the Vindication of their Fame, after the Clouds of Perfecution were over. I fhall touch thefe Things but curforily, because they were all Truths fully acknowledged by the Jews, our Saviour's Hearers; and therefore there is no Occafion to provẹ them, as would be neceffary, if they had been controverted.

1. The Prophets were in high Efteem, as being extraordinary Perfons raised up by God, who, by their heavenly Credentials, gave Authority to the Doctrine which they delivered; for they either wrought Miracles in Confirmation of their divine Miffion, or they had the Atteftation of fome other undoubted Prophet, who had wrought Miracles; or, at least, by Purity of Doctrine, and Holiness of Life, and Agreement with other foregoing Prophecies, they established their Authority.

2. The great Zeal of the Prophets to reprove Vice, and to plant and establish Virtue with a very particular Courage and Freedom, is very confpicuous in all their Prophecies, and this, no

doubt, gave them great Authority.

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3. The fame was established by their patient Sufferings; for both from my Text, and many other Paffages of holy Scripture, it appears, that moft of them were Martyrs.

4. Tho' they had been exceedingly calumniated and abused in their Life-time, yet by the Accomplishment of their Prophecies, after their Death, and the fignal Judgments of God upon their Perfecutors, their Fame came to be reftor'd, and thofe Clouds of Sufpicion and Calumny to be diffipated; fo that in our Saviour's Days all Perfons had a good Opinion of them, and a bad one of their Perfecutors, not excepting the Scribes and Pharifees themfelves, who honour'd their Tombs and Memories, tho' they follow'd the Actions of their Perfecutors, as appears from our Saviour's Reprehenfion of them, Mat. xxiii. 29. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharifees, Hypocrites; becaufe ye build the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnifh the Sepulchres of the Righteous, and Jay, if we had been in the Days of our Fathers, we would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of the Prophets.

It is no wonder, then, if an extraordinary Commiffion from God, pure Doctrine, holy Lives, a zealous Reformation of Vice, patient Sufferings, and re-established clear Reputations, made all Men think it an Honour to be found in the fame way with the Prophets.

II. But now, to go on with our Saviour's Argument, the Prophets, notwithstanding all these extraordinary Qualifications, were reviled, calumniated, and perfecuted in their Days, for doing their Duty. I fhall give you but a few Examples of this, out of a great many; for it is fo copious

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