coft you to be faved? did you not renounce the world and the flesh in your Baptismal ( oft renewed Covenant,) 1 Pet. 4, 11, 12. Beloved, think it not ftrange concerning the fiery tryal, as if fome ftrange thing happened to you: But rejoyce, in as much as ye are partakers of Chrifts fufferings.] And will you think fo ftrange of fmaller matters, as to think they excuse your impatience, and evil speeches?

Y this time you may fee, if you are willing to fee, that all among us that are not real Saints,. are Hypocrites, if they profefs themfelves Chriftians and the fervants of God and that miferable. ungodly fouls, that call fuch Hypocrites as are more diligent then themselves for their falvation, do but difcover their ignorance and malignity,

malignity,and condemn themselves in bewraying their hypocrifie, while they reproach the practice of the fame Chriftian Religion, which themselves profess, and the obedience to that Scripture which they confess themselves to be the Word of God. All the prophane, and unfanctified among us, that call themselves Christians, are certainly Hypocrites. And for the godly, it is the very fame Religion, that is profeft by them and you: It is the fame engagement and Vow that you all made to God in baptifm And fuffer but reafon impartially to tell you, when two men have entred the iame Covenant, and one never mindeth it fo as to keep it; and the other makes it his chiefeft care; which of thefe is liker to be the diffembler in his Covenant? When two men profefs themselves the fervants of God, and fuch as place

their hopes in heaven, and one of them makes a jeast of fin, and ferveth the flesh and the world which he hath renounced, and hates thofe that diligently ferve the Lord; and the other maketh it the principal care and business of his life to ferve and please him, infomuch as he is reproached for it, as making more ado about it then needs; which of these are Hypocrites, and which are ferious, in the performing of their Covenants, and living according to their profeffion? If two fervants promise to do your work, and one labour as hard as he can, and the other fit down and deride him for making fo much ado, which was it that plaid the Hypocrite in his promife? If diligence in Gods fervice be a fign of hypocrifie, then promife-keeping is hypocrific, and promife-breaking is fincerity; And then you may transfer

the

the cafe to God (who will be the rewarder of them only that diligently feek him, Heb. 11. 6.) and Tay that it is his faithfulness to break his promifes, and his unfaithfulness to keep them. But who will spend words on fuch impious abfurdities? fo grofs, that the Devil would have fhewed himfelf a fool to vent them, if he had not made his followers fuch fools as to believe them. But for the faithful fervants of the Lord, let them know, that they must serve him on fuch terms: They must live above the judgement and reputation of this world; and be content that God the fearcher of hearts fhall be their Judge, who knoweth both fincerity and hypocrifie, and will bring forth their righteoufnels as the light. Chriftians, you must not only be fincere but alio patiently expect to be accounted hypocrites, and point

ed:

ed at as the only diffemblers of the world: You must not only be honeft, but patiently expect to be accounted disboneft: you must not only be wife and fober, but patiently expect to be accounted fools and mad men. You must not only be liberal, charitable, and contemners of the world, but patiently expect to be called covetous, even though you give away all that you have. You must not only be chaste and temperate; but alfo patiently expect to be defamed as incontinent and licentious, and as Chrift was called, a wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and finners. A Minister must not only lay out himfelf wholly for the faving of mens fouls, and spend himself and all that he hath on his Mafters work; but also patiently expect to be accounted unfaithful, coverous, and negligent, and murmured at by almost all whofe unreafonable de