and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. 239 In all there things which I have fpoken unto you concerning the greatnefs of my love towards you, in chufing you to be my apofiles, in revealing unto you the whole will of my Father, and in laying down my life for you ; I have urged and inculcated upon you this reafon chiefly, as I at firfl told you, that ye may learn, after my ex- ample, to love one another. The world, indeed, you mull expert, will hate and perfecute you upon my account; but this you ought not to be furprifed or terrified at, knowing that I myfelf have met with the fame treatment before you. But the reafon why the generality of the world have oppofed and perfecuted me, is becaufe my doEtrine is inconfiflent with their lulls and paffions, their covet- oufnefs and unjuft ambition; and, for the fame reafon, there is no doubt but they will oppofe and perfecute you alfo. If ye were of the fpirit of the world, flatter- ing men in their fins, and teaching doc- trines confitent with their lulls and pallions, the world, doubtlefs, would love and ho- nour you : but fince I have chofen you out of the world, to reprove it's vices, and to preach the neceffity of reformation, and of Men amending their lives, if the world hate and perfecute you, wonder not. Therefore, be not furprifed, when ye meet with oppofition ; nor think to find better treatment in the world, than I my- felf have done. Remember what I have already told you, that the difciple is not above his Mailer, nor is he that is Pent greater than he that fent him. Ifmen had generally and readily embraced my doe- fine, you might, indeed, have had force reafon to expel, that they would willingly have received your's alto: but fince I my- felf have fuffered great indignities and perfecutions from wicked and perverfe, from obflinate and incorrigible men, only for oppofing their vices, it is highly rea- fonable that you fhould expet to undergo the like treatment upon the like account: in all which fufferings you will moreover have this comfortable confideration to fup- port you, that the juflice of your own taufe, and the injuflice of your perfecutors, will by that very means moll evidentlyappear; feeing ye are perfecuted only for profelfing and preaching in my name the do&rine of true religion and virtue ; and they per- fecute you only, becaufe they know not God, and out of mere malice will not bear to be inflruEted in his command. Indeed, had not I appeared to the world with all poffible demonflrations of authority and truth, teaching men a moll holy and un- deniable dofrine, fufficient to reform their manners and amend their lives, and more- over demonfirating my divine commiffion, by fuch proofs as ought to fatisfy and convince the moll doubting and fufpicious minds ; they might have had fome plea and excufe of ignorance for their unbelief: but now, fince all reafonable evidence has been offered them, and proper methods ufed for their converfion and falvation, and yet they wilfully and obflinately rejeéi there means ofgrace, it is plain they have no excufe for their fin ; but they oppofe and perfecute you only, becaufe they will not forfake their worldly lulls, and out of mere malice will not bear to be inflrufed in the commands of the Almighty : fo that they who oppofe and perfecute you, as they have before perfecuted mc, íhew plainly that they are haters of God, and of his moll holy _commandments ; which is, as I have already told you, a plain evi- dence ofthe injuflice of your perfecutors, and ofthe juflice ofyour own caufe. I fay, if I had not done fuch works amongft them as no man ever did, they might, indeed, have had force appearance of excufe for their fin : but now, having Peen abundant proof, ofmy authority, and undeniable evidence of the truth of my doéirine, and yet wilfully and obflinately perfiíling tooppofe it, becaufe inconfiflent with their lufts; it is plain, that their difho- nouring me, is a difhonour done to God himfelf, and a dire& contempt ofhis com- mands ; fo that they areutterly inexcufable. But it is no wonder, when men have given themfelves
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