474 Of Eternal Judgment. Chap.VI. of Mens Sririts, futcs his Terr.'ptationsaccordingly.. The Purity and Holinefs of Religion, cxprelt mthe AEhons of the Sa1~ts, lS by. t_he fcurr_lious Reflec1~o'!J an~ bitter Sarcafms of propllanc Pcrfons made c~ntempttble. Th1s IS as foollfh and ma!Jcious, as if a Slave fl 1oulrl reproach the Son of a Kmg, rhat he was lilw his Father in his Countenance and AB: ions. for by how much the refemblance of God's Holinefs appears with more evidence and emi: ne ne<.: in their Lives , their Divine.Relation ismore certaml¥ a~d juftly to be_acknowledged. Yet how, many arc a01amed of tlus Glory? And Zeal to _vmd1cate the Honour of Religion JS rraduc t! and Vlhfied, ctther as the EAcCl: of defignmg FaCl:1on, or of the Tndifcretion and Rafhnefs of a weak Judgment and flrong Paffions . In every Age the fai thful Servants of God are by fcoi·nful Titles defpifcd : We are accounted, faith the Apoflle, the of!Jcouring of the rvorld, I Cor.4. I?· But a generous Chriftian looks upon d1fgrace for the fal<eo£ Chqft as l11s Honour. The A poHles rejotced that they tVere accoNnted u:orthy to Jujfer fbame for. hit Name. l\0:s )· 41. 'Tis fa id of the Baptifi, Hewas not that Lzght, b!tt came to br.tr ivttnefs to that Lrgbt' intimating as if that were the next degree of Dignity to it. And our Sa~iour, fpea~ing of the Proofs of his.Divine Milfton, reckons up the Witnelfesof fuch Dignity, that 'ti s not poffible for Sacred Ambition to afpi re to higher Honour, than to be in conjunCl:ion with them: they are 'John theBaptijf, his Mira<les, his Father, and the &rip· trms, John )· lJ,. j6,_l7, l9· ' Let us appea l then from the light depraved Fancies of carnal Men, to the wife and faithful Judgment and Authority of the Son of God. He will at the !aft Day, in the prefence of his Fa~her and all the "Court of Heaven, give an incomparable Crown to all that have 'diffifidfbamdor his fake. But thofevile Spirits, whofe Courage of Straw is quell'd by yaiH Opinion, and the Reproaches of Fools, and have deferred the Cau[e of Chrifl, 01all then be clothed with confufion : for this we are alfured by our Judg, tha t whoforoer jball be ajbamed of me and my words, tn thts adttlterous and finfrd generatton, of him a!fo foal/ the Son of man he ajbamed when he cometh m the glory of hts rat/m, wtth the holy Angels. M ar. 8.j8. ' If . the unnatural Brothers were aftoni01'd when the Governor of Egypttoid them, I am'Jofeph, whom yefold; how much more will falfe Chriflians, when the Lord of Glory fhall tell them, I am Jefus, whom for bafe fl1ame ye denied ? How will it confound thofe abjeCl: Wretches to be a fpeltacle of Abhorrence and Scorn before tha t Un iverfal Glorious Confluence? They would chufe rather to be covered under the Ruins of the World. If we value and defire the approbation of the King of Angels, if we fear a final rejetlion from him, to obtain the one and avoid the other, we mull ent irely adhere to his Inrereft, wi thout any refpelt to the eyes and e!\eem of the perverfe deceived World. Sixth!;, A cordial beneficent Love to the Saints, is a requifite Qualification of our acceptance in the Day of Judgment. Then JbaH the King fay to them on his rrght hand, Come ye blefJed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for yorr from the fottnd~tion of the world. For I JVas an hungrY., 11ndye gave me meat; ]was thirflh and ye gave me drtnk; 1 was a jlran~ j;;; ::~';/o;;;;e ;:;o n,;;edM=~~J;.c~o::'e1d5~;6: I ~~fc∋: {~d~~~t:C~e:t;a?;~t;:~ Chri!t and hi s People, are mutual and reflexive; as they are extrea ml~ tender of his Glory, fo he is concern'd in all that is done to them. And tho the PerfeCfJOn of Love confifls more in the AlfeCl:ion of the Heart than in outward Offices, yet our Si'viour mofl congru· ouOy produce~ in Judgment the confpicuous effeCl:s of Love to them, t~e fupply ing their Wants, allayJOg theH· Sorrows, owmng them when obfcured a~d depr'lfl by Affi.'t h ons, and inJUrioufty treated by others. Tlus love of Serv1ce that JS dH·eCl:ed and exemfed towards the Saints for the Image of God fhmJOg 111 them, becaufe t hey are t he C hild ren of God, and Members of Chrift, and therefore extended to all in whom the rea fon of that L ove appears, fhaiJ be glorioufty rewarded ; for he interprets what is done upon his ~ccount ~~c~~f~~·~1i~ :~~e\\~n~~~ol~rs~~~!n~~i~J:~~s;h:s,~~,nkes~f1::~~~· w i~~~a~~~t~e~c~? But thole who when Chrift prefents himfelf to them in his poor diftrelfed Members, and follicits their affiftance, to proteCl: them from InJuries, to refrefh their Sorrows, to fupport them in their exigencies; thofe that have Ability, but want AlfeCl:ion to do them go?£!, and inCompaffionately neglclt the fulfering Saints, fha iJ be fenrenc'd to be tormented with the Apoftate Angels for ever. What Ind ignity is it to the Son of God, that. thofe for whom he fhed his moft precious Blood, fhould be in lefs va lue and regard With many, than the Dogs and Horfes mainta ined fo r their pleafure? And 1f t hofe or: t he left h•n4fhal l be condemned to eterna l Fire for t he coldnefs of t heir Love ; how ternble Will the Judgmem be of thofe that from the heat of their enmi ty ou~rag ioufty p~rfecute the Servants of Chrift for his fake, in their Perfans, Eftates, Reputations, that With a worfe than bar~ barous inhumanity feek their ruin ? Is there any Sm of a more mortal gu41,~
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