SERM. to their prayer." So that if bad men were never fo CCXI. ill disposed toward the good, and bent to do them all

the injury and mischief they could devise, the providence of God hath a thousand ways to prevent it; and if he pleases to interpose between them and danger, who can harm them, if they would? He can "snare the wicked in the works of their own hands, " and make the mischief which they devised" against good men, " to return upon their own heads;" he can weaken their hands, and infatuate their counsels, fo that they shall not be able to bring their wicked enterprises to país; he can change their hearts, and turn the fierceness and rage of men against us into a fit of love and kindness, as he did the heart of Efau towards his brother Jacob; and their bitterest enmity against truth and goodness, into a mighty zeal for it, as he did in St. Paul, who when he came to Damafcus, fell a preaching up that way, which he came thither on purpose to perfecute. And this Gop hath promised to do for good men, who are careful to please him.

"When a man's ways please the Lord, he " will make his enemies to be at peace with him." So that confidering the nature of goodness, and the nature of man, and the providence of God, “Who " is like to harm us, if we be followers of that which " is good?" None can reasonably do it, and he must be a very bad man that can find in his heart to do it, when there is no cause, no temptation or provocation to it; and the providence of GOD, "who hath the "hearts of men in his hands, and can fway and in" cline them as he pleaseth," is particularly concerned to preferve good men from harm and mischief.

And yet we are not to understand this saying of the apoftle, as declaring to us the constant and certain event of things, without any exception to the contrary.

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trary. For good men to appearance, nay those that SERM., are really fo, and the very best of men, are sometimes exposed to great injuries and fufferings, of which I shall give you an account in these following particulars.. I. Some that seem to be good, are not fincerely fo; and when they, by the just judgment of God, are punished for their hypocrify, in the opinion of many. goodness seems to fuffer. Some, under a great profession and colour of religion, have done very bad. things, and when they justly fuffer for great crimes, they call punishment perfecution, and the party and church which they are of, call them saints and martyrs.

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II. Some that are really good, are very imperfectly so, have many flaws and defects, which do very much blemish and obfcure their goodness; they are " followers of that which is good," but they have an equal zeal for things which have no goodness in them, or fo little that it is not worth all that stir and bustle which they make about them; and will contend as earnestly for a doubtful, and it may be for a false opinion, as for the articles of the creed, and for "the faith " which was once delivered to the faints;" and will oppose a little ceremony with as much heat, as the gteatest immorality. In these cafes, it is not mens goodness which raiseth enmity against them, but their imprudent zeal and other infirmities which attend it : but however, bad men are glad to lay hold of those occafions and pretences of enmity, which their indifcretion offers. Good men may be, and frequently are miftaken in their opinions and apprehenfions of things: but it is a great mistake to have an equal zeal for little and doubtful things, as for the great and indispensable. duties of the christian life, and yet many times so as to neglect those to a great degree; and men must blame themselves for the inconveniences that happen to them

SERM. for their own indifcretion; for neither will the nature CCXI. of the thing bear them out alike, nor will the providence of God be equally concerned to protect men in the following of that, which they through gross miftake, and a heady conceit of their own knowledge in religion, think to be good, as in the following of that which is really and unquestionably good.

III. The enmity of some men against goodness is so violent and implacable, that no innocency, no excellency of goodness, how great foever, can restrain their malice towards good men, or hinder the effects of it, when it comes in their way, and they have power to do them mischief. Against these the provi dence of Gop is our best safe-guard; and it is wifdom, as much as possible, to keep out of their way, and to pray with St. Paul, that we may be "deli"vered from wicked and unreasonable men;" men of so abfurd a malice against goodness that it is not to be prevented by any innocency or prudence; and so implacable, that there is no way to gain and reconcile them, nor perhaps is it much desirable; their good word would be no credit to us, and their friendship would be pernicious, when it cannot be had upon other terms, than of conniving at their faults, and being concerned in their quarrels, and at last quarrelling and breaking with them, unless we will " run "with them to the fame excess of riot." The friendship of fuch men is more terrible than their enmity, and their malice much less to be dreaded than their kindness,

IV. The last and chief exception is that of the cross, when the fufferings and perfecutions of good men are necessary for the great ends of God's glory, for the advancement of religion, and the example and falvation of others. And with this exception all the declarations

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declarations of scripture concerning the temporal prof. SERM. perity and safety of good men, and all the promises of the new teftament are to be understood. And this exception our SAVIOUR himself expresly makes, Mark Χ. 29, 30. " Verily I say unto you, there is no man " that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or fa"ther, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, " for my fake and the gospel's, but he shall receive "an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and bre"thren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and "lands, with persecution; and in the world to come " eternal life; " that is, so far as a state of persecution would admit, all these losses should be recompensed to them in this present time; as they were to the apostles in a remarkable manner, when they who had but little to part with for the gospel, had the estates of Christians laid at their feet and committed to their disposal, for the noblest purposes of charity, and common support of Christians, which was as much to them as if they had been masters of the greatest estates; and whatever was wanting to any of them in the accomplishment of this promise, was abundantly made up to them in the unspeakable and eternal happiness of the world to come. And this exception the apostle St. Peter is careful to mention exprefly, immediately after the text; for after he had said, "who is he that will harm you, if ye be follow"ers of that which is good?" he immediately adds, "But, and if ye fuffer for righteousness sake, happy " are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be "troubled, but sanctify the LORD GOD in your "hearts;" that is, in this cafe, fear Gop more than men, " and be ready always to give an answer to every

man, that asketh you a reason of the hope that " is in you;" that is, if ye be questioned for be

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SER M. ing Chriftians, be ready to own your profession, and to give a reason of it: so that the apoftle supposeth, that notwithstanding what he had faid, that ordinarily it is not in the nature of men to perfecute men for true goodness, yet they must not expect to be exempted from persecution, which was necessary for the establishment of the christian religion.

In these cafes God permits the devil to instigate and exasperate evil men against those that are good, to act beyond their usual temper. Thus God, when he designed an illustrious example of patience for all ages of the world, he lets loose the devil, not only to stir up his instruments the Chaldeans and Sabeans against Job, but to afflict him immediately himself with bodily pains and diseases. In these and the like cases, the best men are exposed to the greatest fufferings. Thus God permitted Socrates, that great light among the Gentiles, and the glory of philofophy, to be cruelly treated and put to death, for an example of virtue, and a teftimony against their impious and abominable idolatry. And thus likewife when it was necefsary for the common falvation of men, and to give the world an example beyond all exception of the greateft innocency, enduring the greatest indignities and fufferings with the greatest patience that one should fuffer for all mankind, he permitted the best man that ever was, God and goodness incarnate, “ by " wicked hands to be crucified and flain;" and afterwards when it was necessary for the propagation and establishment of chriftianity in the world, that the truth of it should be fealed by the death of fo many martyrs, God was pleased to fuffer the rage of ban men to break out into all manner of violence and cruelty.

But yet notwithstanding these exceptions, those who