vil in this world; and this principle is likely to infpire men with the greatest courage, for what need he fear any thing in this world, who fears not death, after which there is nothing in this world to be feared? And this the Chriftian religion does, by giving men the affurance of another life, and a happiness infinitely greater than any is to be enjoyed in this world. And in order to the fecuring of this happiness, it teacheth men to be holy, and juft, and to exercise a good confcience both towards God and man, which is the only way to free a man from all inward and tormenting fears of what may happen to him after death. This makes the righteous man to be (as Solomon fays) bold as a lion. Nothing renders a man more undaunted as to death, and the confequences of it, than the peace of his own mind; for a man not to be confcious to himself of having wilfully dif pleafed him, who alone can make us happy or miferable in the other world. So that a good man, being fecure of the favour of God, may, upon that account, reasonably hope for a greater happinefs after death than other men: whereas a bad man, if he be fober, and have his fenfes awakened to a serious confideration of things, cannot but be afraid to dy; and be extremely anxious and folicitous what will become of him in another world. And furely it would make the ftouteft man breathing afraid to venture upon death, when he fees hell beyond it. Poffibly there may be fome monsters of men, who may have fo far fuppreffed the fenfe of religion, and ftupified their confciences, as in a good measure to have conquered the fears of death, and of the confequences of it. But this happens but to very few, as the Poet tells us in the perfon of an Epicurean : Felix qui potuit rerum cognofcere caufas, There are very few that attain to this temper, but at fome times. So that if vice and wickednefs do generally break the firmnefs of mens fpirits; it re D 3 mains Ser. 118. mains, that nothing but religion can generally give men courage againft death. And this the Chriftian religion does eminently to thofe who live according to it; our bleffed Saviour having delivered us from the fear of death, by conquering death for us, and giving us affurance of the glorious rewards of another life. (2.) Meeknefs, and patience, and humility, and modefty, and fuch virtues of Chriftianity, do not in reafon tend to difpirit men, and break their true courage, but only to regulate it, and take away the fiercenefs and brutifhnefs of it. This we fee in experience, that men of the trueft courage have many times leaft of pride and infolence, of paffion and fiercenefs. Thofe who are better bred are commonly of more gentle and civil difpofitions: but yet they do not therefore want true courage, though they have not the roughnefs and fool-hardiness of men of ruder breeding. So in a true Chriftian, courage and greatnefs of mind is very confiftent with meeknefs, and patience, and humility. Not that all good men are very couragious; there is much of this in the natural temper of men, which religion does not quite alter. But that which I am concerned to maintain is, that Christianity is no hinderance to mens courage, and that ceteris paribus, fuppofing men of equal tempers, no man bath fo much reafon to be valiant, as he that hath a good confcience; I do not mean a bluftering, and boisterous, and rash courage; but a fober, and calm, and fixt valour. 2. I appeal to experience for the truth of this. Did ever greater courage and contempt of death appear in all ages and fexes, and conditions of men, than in the primitive martyrs? were any of the heathen foldiers comparable to the Chriftian legion, for refolution and courage, even the Heathen themselves being judges? The religion of Mahomet feems to be contrived to infpire men with fiercenefs and defperatenefs of refolution, and yet I do not find but that generally where there hath been any equality for numbers, the Chriftians have been fuperior to them in valour, and have given greater instances of refolu refolution and courage than the Turks have done. So that I wonder upon what grounds this objecti on hath been taken up against Christianity, when there is nothing either in the nature of this religion, or from the experience of the world, to give any tolerable countenance to it. And furely the best way to know what effect any religion is likely to have upon the minds of men, is to confider what effects it hath had in the conftant experience of mankind. There remains the other two objections, which I mentioned; but I must reserve them to another op portunity. SERMON CXIX. The prejudices against Jefus and his reli gion confidered. MATTH. xi. 6. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. F The fecond fermon on this text. ROM thefe words I proposed to consider these two things: I. The prejudices and objections which the world at first had, and many ftill have, against our bleffed Saviour and his religion. II. That it is a great happiness to escape the com mon prejudices which men are apt to entertain a gainft religion. I have confidered those objections which the Jews and heathen Philofophers made againft our Saviour and his religion: And, II. Those which at this day are infifted upon by the fecret and open enemies of our religion. And I mentioned seven; the two last of which I shall now speak Sixthly, It is objected, that there are many divifions and factions among Christians. This I confess is a great reproach and fcandal to our religion: but no fufficient argument against it. And, 1. To leffen and abate the force of this objection, it is to be confidered, that a very great part of the divisions that are among thofe that are called Chriftians, are about things that do not concern the effentials of Chriftianity, and therefore they are no argu ment that Chriftianity is not true, because they bring no fufpicion of doubt and uncertainty upon the fundamentals of Chriftianity, which all agree in, though they differ in other things. 'Tis true indeed they are very undecent, and contrary to the nature and precepts of the Chriftian religion, which, above any religion in the world, does ftrictly require love and unity. They take off much from the ftrength and beauty of religion, but do by no means destroy the truth of it. 2. How many and great foever they may be, yet they can with no colour of reafon be imputed to the Chriftian religion, as giving any caufe or encouragement to them, however by accident it may be the occafion of them. For no man doubts but that the best things in the world may be perverted by bad men, and made an occafion of a great deal of mifchief in the world, and yet be very innocent of all that mifchief. No man can deny but that Chriftianity does ftrictly enjoin love, and peace, and unity among all the members of that profeffion; and fo far as Chriftians are factious and unpeaceable, so far they are no Chriftians. So that a man may as well except against Philofophy, becaufe of the differences that were among the Philofophers, and fay there was no truth among them, because they were not all agreed in all things, as call the truth of Chriftianity in question, for the differences that are among Chriftians. Nay, a man might every whit as well except against laws and government; because notwithstanding them, there are frequent feditions, and rebellions, infinite fuits and controverfies occafioned even by the very laws: but no man was ever fo unreasonable reasonable as to think this a good reafon against law's and government. 3. The divifions of Chriftians are fo far from being an argument against Christianity, that, on the contrary, they are an argument that men fhould embrace Christianity more heartily, and make more con fcience of obeying the precepts of it. And if they did this, the greatest part of thofe contentions and uncharitable animofities which are among them would prefently cease. If the Chriftian religion were truly entertained, and men did seriously mind the precepts of it, and give up themfelves to the obedience of its laws, differences would not be easily commenced, nor fo vehemently profecuted, nor fo pertinacious. ly continued in, as they are. Men would not, upon every flight reafon, and little doubt and fcruple, rend and tear the body of Chrift in pieces, and fe parate themselves from the communion of the church they live in, and in which they were baptized and received their Christianity. If men seriously confidered, and truly understood what they do, when they divide the church of Chrift upon little fcruples and pretences, they would hardly be able to think themfelves Chriftians, whilft they continued in these unchriftian and uncharitable pra Єtices. If men would but be, or do what Chriftianity res quires, there would be no occafion for this objecti on; and if men will not, Chriftian religion is not to be blamed for it, but thofe that act fo contrary to the plain precepts and directions of it. I proceed to the Seventh and laft objection, the vicious and wicked lives. of a great part of the profeffors of Chriftianity. This is a heavy objection indeed, and fuch an one, that though we may juftly be ashamed to own the truth of it, yet can we not have the face to deny it. It is fo fad a truth, that it is enough to con found us, and to fill all our faces with fhame and blufhing; but yet it is an objection not fo ftrong a gainst Christianity, as it is fhameful to Chriftians. And |