578 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, paid tribute to Cwsar, and hath commanded that every soul be subject to the higher powers; and not resist, and this for conscience sake ? (Rom. xiii. 1-3.) and hath bid his disciples rather to turn the other cheek, than to seek revenge? (Luke vi. 29.) and bath told them that they that use the sword (of rebellion, or revenge, or cruelty) shall perish by the sword? John xviii. 11. If any Christians will, under pretense of religion, set up acruel inquisition, or kill men to convert them, or become self-lovers, covetous, boast- ers, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, &c., is this longof him that bath forbid all this? 2 Tim. iii. 2-5. If for their own domination, lust, or covetousness, men called Christians will be worse than heathens and wolves to one another, is this long of him that bath made it his sheep -mark, by which we must be known to all men to be his disciples, that " we love one another? " (John xiii. 35.) and bath told them, that if they "bite and devour one another, they shall be devoured one of another ?" (Gal. v. 15.) and bath blessed the merciful, as those that shall find mercy, (Matt. v. 7.) and hath told men that what they do to his little ones, shall be taken as if it were done to himself? (Matt. xxv.) and bath com- manded the " strong to bear with the infirmities of the weakxand not to please themselves?" (Rom. xv. 1-3.) and "to receive one another as Christ received us ?" (ver. 7.) and bath told those that offend but "one of his little ones, " that it " were good fo? that man that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea ?" (Matt. xviii. 6.) and bath told him that " smiteth his fellow servants, that his Lord will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him leis portion with the hypocrites, where shall be weep- ing and gnashing of teeth ? " chap. xxiv. 48-51. I wonder what men would have Christ do, to free himself and the Christian reli- gion from the imputation of the sins of the hypocrites, and the weak, distempered Christians. Would, they have him yet make stricter laws, (when they hate these for being so strict already,) or would they have him condemn 'sinners to more grievous punish- ment, when they are already offended at the severity of his threat- enings? O what an unrighteous generation are his enemies that blame the law, because men break it, and blame religion, because many are not religious enough ! As if the sun must be hated, because that shadows and dungeons , do want light ; or life and health must be hated, because manyare sick and pained by their dis- eases ! But Christ will shortly stop all the mouths of these unrea- sonable men ; and0 how easily will he justify himself, his laws, and
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