Serm. XXVII. 95 SER MON XXVII. The Vanity and Wickednefs of Honouring dead Saints sdg and Perfecuting the Living. a'y. LUKE Xi. 49, 50, 51. Therefore alfo laid the Wifdom of God, I will fend them Prophets and Apofiles, and force of them they ¡ball flay andperfecute : That the blood of all the Prophets, which was fhedfrom the foundation of the world, may be required of this Generation ; from the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, which periJhed between the Al- tar and the Temple : Verily I fay unto you, it ¡ball be,required of this Generation. E latter part of this Chapter is a very (harp, but juft Inve£live, made by our Saviour againft the Hypocrify of the Scribes and Pharifees, of which he gives many Inftances; and this among the reff for one, that theypretended a great Honour andRefpeet for the Righteous Men, and Prophets of former Ages, whom their Fathers had Perfecuted and Slain ; but yet were of the very faine Spirit and Temper, and as ready to perfecute Good Men, as their Fathers were. They raifed indeed ftately Monuments to the Memoryof thofe Saints and Martyrs, and adorned them with great Art and Cott, and it is likely made a great Shew of Efteein and Veneration for them : But all this while they were of the fame Difpofition with their Fathers, and bare the fame implaca- ble Hatred and Malice againft the Prophets and Righteous Men who then lived a- mong thein, (yea againft that great Prophet, whom God had fent into the Worlds Jefus the Son of God,) which their Fathers did again¡¡ the Good Men of their Times. And tho' they difclaimed the Wickednefs and Cruelty of their Fathers, withnever fomuch Zeal and Vehemency ; yet . for all that, they were ready to do the fame things. Now this was fo grofs and odious a piece of Hypocrite in them, that our Saviour doth with great Reafon denounce fo fevere a Woe againft them : Wo unto you. for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets, andyour Fa- thers killed them. Truly ye, bear Witnefs, that ye allow the deeds ofyour Fa -, thers; For they indeed killed them, and ye build their Sepulchres. And then it follows; Therefore alfa fail the Wifdom of God, I will fend them Prophets and Apoffles, and fame of them they ¡ball flayandperfecute : That the bloodof all the Prophets, which was fhed from the foundation of the world may be requiredof this generation, from the bloodof Abel, to the bloodof Zacharias, which perifbed between the Altar and the Temple. There are confderable Difficulties in both thefe Paflàges. As to the former, Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and your Fathers kil- led them. Trulyye bear Witnefs, that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers ; For they indeed killed them, and ye build their Sepulchres. The force of this Reafo- ning, is at firff fight not eafìe to be difcern'd ; and therefore Expofitors have gone feveral ways to explain it. Some comparing this with the parallel Place in St. Matthew's Gofpel (Ch. 23. 29.) will not have our Saviour to mean, that by building the Sepulchres of the Prophets they exprefs'd their approbation of' their Fathers killing them. They did indeed telfifie by their ufage of the Righteous Men that liv'd amongff themfelves, that they were of the very fame Temper and Spirit, which their Fathers had been C c 2 of
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