SERM. tude of Men to the Love of God. He, in

11. Mercy, propofes a Revelation to them, per fectly qualified to make them eafy here, as well as happy hereafter. Some not only reject it themselves, but hate, and perfecute, and extirpate, those who preach it, and propose it to them. Others, indeed, receive it, and profefs it: But, inftead of conforming their Tempers and Lives, to its Precepts; and ftudying the Advantage, and Happiness, of the World they live in, they presently turn their Thoughts upon what private Advantages they can make of it; what account they can make it turn to; what there is in it, for their Ambition, or Covetoufnefs, or Revenge, to employ in their Service; what there is in it proper for them to work with, in order to raife themfelves, and deprefs others.

Thus have the wicked Part of the World turned into Poifon, and Ruine, what was defigned for their Health, and Strength; and converted into a common Plague, and Disturbance, what was exactly qualified to establish, and confirm, human Society in Quiet, and Happiness. But whither at length will the Perverfenefs of Men proceed, when so sacred, and useful, a thing hath not been able to withstand it? For what can be thought of, that is more truly qualified for other, and better Purpofes, for the univerfal Interest, and

Peace,

Peace, of the World, than the Christian Re- SERM. ligion? What more worthy of God to reveal;

II.

or of Man to receive, and practise? And yet, o what hath been ever more abufed; or perverted to worse, and more deteftable Purposes? But this, as it fhews us the perverse Tendency of human Nature, when it is once debauched by worldly Principles, and drawn afide from the Paths of ftrict Virtue : So it leads us,

Thirdly, to confider what an Account fome Men have to make: and what a Punishment They have waiting for them, who are guilty of fo unpardonable an Abuse of God's Mercy in the Difpenfation of the Gofpel. Invain do Those who are the proper Caufes of these unhappy Confequences of the Chriftian Religion, think to lie hid, or to escape free, with all the private Advantages they procure to themselves. Invain doth the Atheist, who puts the Guise of Religion upon what He undertakes, flatter himself with the Hopes of Security, and Impunity. Invain do the Sceptics, and Irreligivus Men, who colour over their Designs with fomething taken from Christianity, laugh inwardly at the Multitude, whom they have deceived with these Pretenfes. Almighty God fees it all: And knows the unfaithful Turnings and Windings of their Hearts: And treasures up all, against the Day of Accounts. And then, what Punishment can we believe, too

great,

SERM. great, for fuch Hypocrify, and fuch Crimes £ II. To them belongs the Guilt of greater Ingratitude, that can be expreffed in Words; the Guilt of perverting an Inftitution from the De fign of God, to the Purposes of the Devil; from the Purposes of Union and Quiet, to the Purposes of Divifion and Unhappiness. To them belongs the Guilt of fcandalizing many against the Chriftian Religion: The Guilt of bringing a Difgrace upon it; and of recommending that to the Hatred and Averfion of many in the World, which, if it had not been for fuch profeffed Chriftians, might have made a lafting good Impreffion upon them, and have prevailed with them to the eternal Salvation of their Souls.

Thefe Men indeed at present cannot be difturbed at the Thoughts of this: Because they can have no Senfe of what they do not believe. And that they do not believe this, is plain from their Behaviour. For how can they per vert and abuse Religion to their own wicked Purposes; if they believe any thing of the Punifhments it threatens, and the Terrors it propofes? But this Security, and falfe Peace, will not laft for ever. Death will put a stop to all their Projects: And after Death comes the Judgment; the Judgment before an Allknowing and Almighty Judge; One that cannot be impofed upon, and cannot be refifted;

and

and One, who will certainly punish them ac- SER M. cording to their Works. They have their Re- II. ward here, if their Pretenfes take, and their m falfe Colours delude the World, for a while, at prefent: But the Scene will quickly change, from a State of Defign and Hypocrify, into a State of that Mifery, which hath been de nounced, and will certainly be executed, upon Hypocrites. There are fome fort of Hypocrites, who do fome Service and Credit to Religion, if they be never difcovered by Men: But these are a fort of Hypocrites, the Confequence of whofe Hypocrify is as fatal to Chriftianity, as the most open and profligate Wickednefs. For their Hypocrify, and Pretenfe to a regard to fomething in Religion, tends vifibly to unhinge the World; and, in its Confequences, brings a perpetual Scandal upon the Religion they profess, by proftituting it to the Service of vile Lufts, and Paffions; by procuring great Temporal Advantages to Themfelves, and numberlefs Miseries to Others. Such as these must not expect the Punishment only of ordinary Hypocrites: But fomewhat as Extraordinary in the Reward of their Hypocrify, as that hath been Extraordinary in its mif chievous Influences upon the World, and its Differvice to Religion.

Fourthly, Since this is the Way of bad Men; and Religion, and the Church, are of

SER M. ten made the Pretenfe for very bad Things: It concerns others to be upon their Guard not to be deceived, as these are continually upon their watch to impofe upon them. Next to the not being guilty of this themselves, the great Care of Men ought to be, that they be not led away by those that are fo; and fo contribute by their Careleffnefs, or Eafinefs of Temper, to, what they would otherwife abhor, the Scandal of Religion, and the Difquiet of the Society they are related to. Why, indeed, fhould it not be accounted a Duty, to be as watchful to prevent fuch Mischiefs, as fome are to bring them to pafs? To be as prepared to fence against them, as fome are always to forward them? Or, why fhould honest Men incur fome Part of the Guilt of the Wicked, by not thinking it worth their while either to understand them rightly, or to oppose them heartily?

Fifthly, and Laftly, Since the Guilt of those who have an Hand in making any thing in Religion fubfervient to the Purposes of Diffenfion, Hatred, and Perfecution, is fo great: Let us take care not to be of the Number of those who do this, in the least Degree imaginable. There hath been enough already done to verify this Prediction of our Lord's, that He came not to fend Peace, but a Sword. He will thank

us, if we will at length leave off to prove the