The Life of Faith. S 5 j fore todifcern the truth, is to treat with reafon alone, and leave out the will, till we have difpatcht with reafon. And you will find that the common light ofnature juflifieth this Law of God. z. He that would not eonfefs that it is better be had no Icing, than that there were no god, or no world betides him, is a manlier 6f fclfifhnefs. And if a man [ay never fo much [I cannot do fo] yet while he confcffcth that thisfhouldbe his de- fire, it fufficeth to the decifion of our prefcnt cafe. a. He that will not confefs that it is better that he himfelf fhould die, than all the Churchof Chril, or the whole King. dom die, is unreafonably fcl&fh in the eyes ofall impartial men. Thegallant Romans and Athenians had learnt it, as one of their plaint fl greatcfi Leffons, to prefer their Country before their lives : And is not that to love their Countryes better than rbemfrlves. 3. For the fame reafon many of them faw, that it was the duty ofa goodfubje&, or a gallant fouldier, to fave the life of hisKing or General, with the lofs of his own : Becaufe their lives were of morepublick utility. And the ground of all this was thefe natural verities. [The beglhoaldbe beg loved: Goodnefs muff be meafured by a higher rule thanperfonalfelf- intereft : Multitudes are better than one. en.] 4. All men acknowledge that a man of eminent Learning, Piety, Ttrifdom, and Vfefulnefs to the Church or World, fhould be loved and prefervcd rather than a wicked, fottifhk, worth- lefschild ofour own. Yea God himfelf requircth that Parents procure the death of their own children, by publick,Juflice, if they be obflinately wicked, Deut. 21. 5. The fame Reafons plainly infer,that I ought rather to de- fire the life of a much more worthy ufeful inlirument for the Church and State, than my own ; and fo to love a better man better than my felf, if I be acquainted fufficiently with his goodncfs. And if this beall fo lure and plain, hence obfcrve,, r. Howmuch humane nature is corrupted.. Alas, how rare is this equal Love !' 2. How few true Chrithans arc.; and how defec9tive and impedes
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