great Stress of the Crime, and confequently of the Infamy and Danger attending it, in the Text, is in the Teaching Men to break God's Commandments. To be sure they are both Wickedness, Secret or Open; yet the Open has much higher Degrees of Aggravation. For, first, it has most of Boldness or Impudence in it; it has that which the Prophet calls, The Whore's Forehead; when Men are not ashamed of their Sin, and hide it not. Secondly, It has most evil Consequences in drawing in, and corrupting others. And Thirdly, it is much more incorrigible, because more headstrong and rooted. While we can bring a Sinner to blush and to be ashamed, there is much greater Hope that Remedies will work upon him, for then he is still ftruggling with his own good Inclinations, with the Checks and Remorse of his own Confcience, and wants but a littleHelp of good Counsel, to strengthen his weak Resolutions, and to extricate him entirely out of the Snare of the Devil; he's then very capable of receiving good Admonition, and has fomething within him that joins in with it. But when his evil Deeds once grow Publick and Scandalous, that he owns and defends them, and makes it his Business to corrupt others, and to be as it were a Profeffor and Teacher of Vice, a Ring-leader in evil Courses, he's quickly hardened againft all Means of Grace, and has not Patience to hear, far less to yield to good Advice. Such a Difference there is between Secret and Scandalous Sins.

4. But Lastly, the highest Degree of Aggravation of this Sin in my Text, is the Teaching of Immorality not only by our Example, but by our Doctrine, Advice, Authority, Countenance, Encouragement,

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couragement, and all those other Methods whereby we are capable of shewing our Zeal for it. The Apostle St Paul describes some who not only do ill Things, but have Pleasure in them that do them. Rom. i. 32. So there are too many who give all the Demonftrations of Zeal and Industry for propagating and teaching their wicked Opinions, such as over-turn the Foundations of all Morality; and encourage Atheism and Libertinism in the World; and so do what in them lies to carry whole Shoals along with them into Perdition.

II. Having given this Description of the Sin of Breaking or diffolving the Moral Law; it will be no wonder that our Saviour says here in Punishment of it, that fuch Persons as are guilty of this Sin shall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven; that is, shall in the Day of Judgment be accounted the very worst of all those who have given up their Names to Christ, and profess Christianity: and shall be punished accordingly. For understanding the Justice of which Sentence, we need but compare the several Sorts of bad Christians together, and we shall easily perceive how These in my Text are the worst.

(1) First then, we may reckon among Bad Christians, Hereticks and Schifmaticks; who from gross Errors they have imbibed, the one concerning the Articles of Faith, the other concerning the Discipline and Government of the Church, seduce Men into Heresie and Schifm; but tho' both these are exceeding bad, yet I cannot think either of them so bad as the seducing of Men into Immorality: Because, while even good Men are liable to Error, it is no hard Matter to imagine how a small Degree of Pride and Selfconceit

conceit may drive those Errors to Heresies and Schifms; and we ought to have fo much Charity, even for Hereticks and Schismaticks, as to believe they follow their own erroneous Confciences in what they do; whereas they who go about to destroy Morality, may very well be supposed to act quite contrary to the Light of their own Minds and Confciences.

2. A worse Sort of Christians than these, I reckon fuch Christians who use some weak and faint Endeavours to do their Duty, but are born down with the Prevalency of their Lufts and Corruptions, and so live in a Contradiction to the Sentiments of their own Minds and Confciences; but yet do not approve themselves in these their evil Practices, far less justify and defend them, or ftrive to gain in Proselytes to them. It will appear upon the first Sight that there is more of Weakness than Wilfulness in the Tranfgreffions of this Sort of Christians; at least that they are much more modest Sinners than those described in my Text; who are not only corrupted themselves, but strive to feduce and corrupt others.

3. A Third much worse fort of Christians than either of the former, are the formal Hypocrites, who for their own By-ends take upon them the Profeffion of Christianity, and tho they may do a great Deal outwardly to answer that Profeffion, yet fecretly they give up themselves to whatever Wickedness they are inclined to, or find it their wordly Interest to practise. They put on the Christian Profession only for a Cloak, that they may more commodiously pursue their own Ends. Yet even these are nothing near so bad as the Christians in my Text, who are wicked

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Livers

Livers themselves, and make it their Business to debauch and corrupt others.

4. This Fourth Sort I reckon to be by much the worst; as paying not so much as external Honour to God; but being open Factors for the Devil; and therefore it is not fo much to be wondred, I think, that they should be adjudged to be the least and unworthiest in the Christian Church, here called the Kingdom of Heaven; as that they should be reckoned any Part of it at all. For indeed we may well wonder what should tempt such Men to take upon them the Christian Profeffion; and why they do not rather choose to abandon it altogether, and declare openly for Atheism and Licentiousness. But there may be several Reafons, why, tho' their Lives are so immoral, they choose rather to retain the Profeffion of Christianity; particularly these two or three. First, there being several Secular Advantages in Christian Countries annexed to the Profession of Christianity, it is no wonder that such Men, for the Sake of these, should be unwilling to abandon the Profeffion. Secondly, Being feduced by false Principles, perhaps they think to find out an eafier Way to Heaven, by the Way of Orthodoxy of Opinions, and partial Obedience, without that Strictness of Life, which the Gofpel enjoins. Thirdly, Perhaps tho' they lead wicked Lives, they may have fome Fancy of escaping at last by the Plank of a Death-bed Repentance; and so to make an Attonement at once for the whole Course of an ill spent Life by this dangerous Doctrine. But my Text informs us what Sentence our Saviour will passupon all such; and that of all those who profess profess Chriftianity, they shall be degraded to the lowest Rank, and punished accordingly.

For it is not the Profeffion of Chriftianity, without a suitable Life and Conversation, that will avail any one towards the Salvation of his Soul; as our Saviour hath told us most exprefly in this fame Sermon on the Mount, where he acquaints us that it is not the Profession of his Name, but the doing the Will of his Father in Heaven, which will be accepted in the great Day of Accounts. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name? And in thy Name have cast out Devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful Works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that Work Iniquity, Matt. viii. 21, 22, 23. And if all this Profession, and all these Gifts, will not fave the Workers of Iniquity, how much less will it save them, who are both Workers and Teachers of it?

So much for the First Thing I proposed to confider from the Words; namely, the heinous Sin, and grievous Punishment of Tranfgreffing the Rules of Morality, prescribed in the Moral Law; and teaching Men so to do. I find Time will not ferve to handle the other Part of the Text, namely, the commendable Practice of recommending a perfect Morality by our Example as well as our Doctrine, and the glorious Reward attending it; from these Words, But whosoever shall do and teach them, the fame shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.