362 S E R MO 1113 upon Senn. XLVI his prnfe(fron, ( hould hate their own lives,.when jut} and convenient reafons did call them thereunto; no, by this law he did notHOnly try his fervants, but preferved a prin- ciple of hone(ly in the world, and provided for the comfort of them, who bcir g i)(fr.r mtntsof publick good, do often make themfelves obje &s of publ;ck hatred : Alas What comfort could they have in promoting the good of the world, and veuturin; themfelvesmagnaoimoufly upon all dangers, if God had not provided fome bettjr thing for them ? All that I (hall add as to particular truths and duties,is this, partly, by way of caution to the perfecuting world, that they may confider how much guilt they incur, when for queftionable things, ( fo I muff fpcak to them ) they rt,n the hazzaid of oppofrng the molt faithful fervants God hath in the world : ?lfually 'tis the confci- entious that fuffer molt; others can eafily leap out of one fort of profcffton and pra- &ife into another, or elfe wriggle and di(tinguith themfelves out of their duty by ma- ny crafty evalions ; whereas the confcientious are held in the nook, meaning to deal with God and the world, without equivocation or evafian, in all Complicity, and godly Gncerity And ¡hall thefe be the obje& of your hatred, and feverell perlec .ti- on? Itargueth art heart aliene from God, and too full of venomous malignity again[t the better part of the world Partly, by way of advice to the perfecuted, which is double : Pia abate not of your zeal ; for he that is not faithful in a little, will not be faitlfttl in much, Luke r6. to; A good man dareth not allow him(elf in the .le 1 evil; the world counteth him more nice than wife, but God will not count him fo ; rho he ihould fail in the applicationof the general rule, yet God will reward him according to his Gncerity; 'tis a love error. Secondly, not to cenfurc others, that fee not by his light; in this cafe, capiat qui capere potefl; he that can receive it, let him receive it : The general rule is the bound of our chanty; but the particular application is the rule of our pra&ice, as long as they own the general rule, tho they have not infight into thefe lefferthings, Phil: 3. 15, 16. Let us therefore, as many as be perfell,be thus minded; and if in any tl ing ye be otlerwife minded, God ¡hall even reveal this to you. Nevesthe- left, whereunto yea have attained, let NI walkby the fame ride, let us mind the fame things. They may fincerely oppofe the fame things that we affect t and we Gncerely affect toe fame things which they oppofe ; now whether we oppofe or aflert, let every one be firmly perfwaded in his own mind and with a models mind bear the diffentiency of others ; nothing will allay the differences in judgment, but ,a mutual fubmiffron to this rule,and meekly holding forth light to others. 2. By a due forefight of, and refolution againft all known dangers. t. A due fight, or fore - thought of the dangers.. Chrift will have us fit down, and count the charges, and make him a good allowance, as men do in building and warring, Luke 14. 18. For which of you intending to build a tower, fdteth not down fell, and countetb the cog whether he be able to fin fh it ? And v 31. Or what king going to make . war againft another king, ftteth not d-wn frfl, and confidereth whether he be able math ten rbcufand, to meet hm that cometh againfh tiles with twenty thoufand ? If we dream of nothing but cafe profperity,we flatterour. felves ; our very Baptifm implieth a notion of working and fighting ; and we mutt confider what the work and warfare will colt us, Rom. 6. 13. T;eld your members as inflruments of righteoufnefs unto God ; as arms and weapons of righteoufnefs 5 and the graces of the fpirit are called armor of light, Rom. 13.12. that is, our warlike attire. Chris himfelf when he was baptized, was confecrated, as the Captain of our falvation, and therefore prefently upon his hap. tifm he was aflàulted by the Devil ; his Baptifm was an engagement to the fame military work to which we are engaged; a war agains the Devil, the world and the flesh ; he ingageth as the General, 1 Job. 3. 8. For this purpofe the Son or God was marifeited, that he might defiroy the works of the Devil 'm tat 'es ; we as common foldiers ; his bap - tifm was the taking of the field as General, we undertake to fight inour rank and place; and can we weft that this confli& can be carried on without fire blows? you mull know therefore, what it is toirritate the Prince of darknefs, and the powers that join with him, and refolve to follow to theconfli&even to death, or elfe we would be ex- cufed in a part of our oath of fealty to Chris. 2. By a refolution againr all known dangers ; it will cos us lots of credit, 1 Cor: 4. 13. We are made so the filth of the world; and the off fcouring of all things unto this day. Ufed as the unworthier creatures in the world, as the (weeping and filth of the City ; many were can forth as unworthy to live in any civil corporation or fociety of men. It will colt us lofs of elate, Heb. to. 34. And tookjoyfully the fpoiling of their goods,
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