Serm. XXIII. and Patterns of Chrifianity. 73 endeavour to be like him ; that we may attain the fame Happinefs, which we be- lieve him to be poffeft of, and, as the Apoffle exhorts, chap. 6. ra. Let us not befothful ; butfollowers of them, who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes. Let us thew the fame Diligence that they did ; that we may have the famefull Agiirance ofHope unto the End, which theyhad. The Inference from this Difcourfe, which I have made upon this Argument, is, to thewwhat Ufe we ought to make of thefe excellent Examples, which are fet before us, of the first Founders and Teachers of our Religion, and what is the proper Honour and Refpe , which we ought to pay to their Memory : Not Invo- cation and Adoration; but a zealous Imitation of theirFaith, and good Converfa- tion. The greateft Honour we can do theta, the. molt acceptable to God, the moft grateful to.them, and the moft beneficial "to our felves, is to endeavour to be like them : Not to make any Images, and Likenefs of them, to fall down be- fore them, and worfhip them'; but to Form the Imageof their Faith and Virtues upon our Hearts and Lives : Not to Pray to them ; but to Praife God for fuch bright and glorious Examples, and to endeavour with all our Might to imitate their Faith, and Patience, and Piety, and Humility, and Meeknefs, and Charity, and all thofe otherVirtues which were fo refplendent in them. And this is to re- member the Founders of our Religion as we ought, to follow their Faith, and to confider the endof their Converfation. Had the Chriftian Religion required, or intended any fuch thing, as of latter Times hath been pradifed in the World ; it had been as eafy for the Apoftte to have faid, Remember them that have been your Guides, and have fpoken to you the Word of God, to eres Images to them, and to worfhip them with due Venera- tion, and to pray to them and make ufe of their InterceJiion. But no fuch thing is faid, or the leaf' Intimation given of it, either in this Text, or any other in the whole Bible; but very much to the contrary. Their Example indeed is frequently recommended to us, for our Imitation and Encouragement ; and for this Reafon, the Providence of God hath taken particu- lar Care, that the Memory of the Apoffles, and fo many primitive Chriffiaus and Martyrs, Mould be tranfinitted to Poflerity ; that Chriftians in all fucceedingA- ges might propound thefe Patterns to thenafelves, and have perpetually before their Eyes the Piety and Virtue of their Lives, and their patient and conftant Sufferings for the Truth ; that when God (hall pleafe to call us to the like Tryal, we may, not be wearied and faint in our Minds ; but being compaffed about with fuch a Cloud of Witne /s, having fo many Examples in our Eye of thofe, who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes, and do now as it were look down from their happy State upon us here below, who are combating with ma- nifold Temptations, to fee hem we behave and acquit our felves in our Chriftian Caurfe, we may take encouragement to our felves, from fuch Examples, and fuch Spectators, to run with Patience the Race which is fet before us. I know indeed that other Ufe than this bath been, and is at this Day made of the Memory of the Saints and Martyrs of former Ages, very difhonourable to God, and very grievous to them, if they be fenfìble of what is done here below; I. mean to Worfhip them, and to Pray to theist, and (to the great Difparagement of the powerful Interceflìon of our great High Prief 'Jefzs the Son of God) to make them the Mediators and Intereeffors in Heaven with God for us.. Of this the Scripture bath no where given us the leaf' intimation; but hsith exprefly commanded the contrary, to worfhip the Lord our God, and him . only to ferve and to pray to him alone, in the name; of 7efus Chrill, who is the only Media- tor betwixt God and Man. Nor are there any Footfteps of any fuck Pra&ice, in the primitive 'Church, for the drft Three Hundred Years; as is acknowledged by our molt Learned Adverfaries of the Church of Rome. The Scripture no where propounds the Saints to us, for Objess ofour Wor-- fhip ; but for the Patterns of our Lives. This is the greateft Refpe& and Vene- ration, that we can, or ought to pay to; them; and whatever is beyond this, is a Voluntary Humility, injurious to God and our Bleffed Savidur, and molt cer- tainly difpleafing to thofe, whom we pretend to honour; if they know how Men play the fool about them here below. Let
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