are not efteemed by every body as we ought; if unjuft imputations are thrown, and, for a time, reft upon us, nay, fhould it happen to be a confiderable time: provided it be not our fault, let us make it as light a misfortune as we can. Perhaps it is for having done our duty, that we are traduced: ad what is our cafe then? Blessed are ye, when men fall reck you, and fay all manner of evil against you falsely for my fake". Or, fuppofing the occafion to be not so meritorious; yet it is fome alleviation, that these things, in fuch a world as the prefent, are of courfe to be expected. We live among perfons that will detract and mifinterpret: and truly we are too prone to do like them. Befides, without any ill difpofition, they miftake our attainments and accomplishments, we miflake theirs, and it cannot be otherwife. Doubtlefs we fhould avoid both making and occafioning fuch mistakes as far as we can. But, when we have done our beft, it is no more to be hoped that the most excellent perfon upon earth should have from all mankind a perfectly good report, than that the most regular perfon upon earth should at all times enjoy perfectly good health. Proper care, generally speaking, will fecure us tole rably in both refpects; at leaft will recover us again. ~ Ard, as our health may fometimes be the better afterwards for having gone through a fharp fit of fickness: fo may our charact ter for fuffering a fevere trial. At leaft, fuch an exercise of our patience and meeknefs, if we preferve them, will do us 2 great deal more service, than the lofs of a little eftcem can do us harm. But it must be faid again, that let perfons only be virtuous and difcreet, mild and humble, peaceful and charita ble; that is, let them be truly good, and ufe but common precautions, that their good be not evil froken of†; and they will feldom fail of fupporting a fair reputation.

As for a high one, that is not fo eafy to be gained; but neither is it fo proper to be much defired. He indeed who is confcious, that, were his merit known, it would enable him to be fingularly useful, may and should, if he is fure that this is both true and his true motive, ftrive carnefily to be con fpicuous but we are frangely apt to deceive ourselves in each of thefe points. And, if we have little more than felfgratification in view: vehement folicitude, in moft cafes, gives

more

Matth. v. II.

+ Rom. xiv. 16.

inore uneafinefs, than fuccefs gives pleasure. But folicitude for fame hath this further unhappiness, that, as very few have really any confiderable title to it, moft of the candidates for it must be disappointed and fo much the more certainly the more forward they are in their pretenfions. For, in proportion as we betray that weaknefs, we ftrangly tempt the world, not only to withhold the efteem which we deserve, but even to withdraw that which they had bestowed upon us. And further, if perfons will affect to raise themselves to a vaft height in popular opinion, though it should provoke nobody to pull their building down, it would, in all likelihood, after a while, overturn itself, or fink under its own weight. Our bufinefs therefore is to take the utmost care, that our foundation be folid: but a lofty fuperftructure is rather to be feared than wished. '

And, befides the imprudence of the thing, it is really injuftice to demand of the world more regard than we have a right to, and charge them with what they do not owe us. Nor is even this the worst of the cafe. Perfons, who claim too much, are frequently driven to unfair and even criminal methods of getting their claim allowed: and there are many in the world, who would have deferved a very good name, if they had not been too earneft and too hafty for a great one. Here then, the truly valuable reputation is loft in pursuit of a fhadow, which is feldom overtaken. To be admired is what we long for: to be disliked and despised is what we usually get. Or, if we fucceed better, perhaps the paffion, to which we make fo coftly a facrifice is only that of being celebrated for fome errant trifle though indeed, be it what it will, every thing is a trifle, compared to a right state of mind and right conduct of life. The reputation of making these things our tudy is what we should aim at: and as, in virtue, the chief point is, to do nothing ill; fo, in character, it is to have nothing ill faid of us. After that, it cannot but be desirable to have good faid; and, in the main, to know it. But a general and a flight knowledge is quite fufficient. We may have full as much pleasure from that, as will be of any ufe to us. And listening after particulars, and wanting to hear a great deal of ourfelves, both is wrong and leads wrong. They, whose praise is worth having, we may be fure, will never give us a

large quantity of it before our faces. And therefore fuch as do, either are bad or weak perfons themfelves, or think us fo. At least they take the ready way to make us fo. For there is not upon earth a more enfnaring temptation, than that of too fond a felf-complacency. Correcting our many and great faults is our proper employment: delighting in our own praifes and imagined excellencies, a very unfafe and pernicious one. Let it be our care then to mind our work by an humble and patient continuance in well-doing and as to our reward, the lefs eager we are for it in this world, the more abundantly we shall receive, in the next, glory, and honour, and immortality*.

* Rom i. 7.

SERMON

THE LIBERALITY OF THE GOSPEL SCHEME, IN THE CONTEMPT OF PARTIAL DISTINCTIONS.

GAL. vi. 15.

For in Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature.

THE

'HESE words relate to that first dispute amongst Christians, whether the law of Mofes was ftill to be observed: which, though it hath long been out of question, and now perhaps the difficulty feems to be only, how the obferva tion of fuch a law could ever be required at all, was yet a very natural subject of controversy, and plainly a very important one, when our religion began to spread in the world: and there is fuch perpetual reference to it in St Paul's epiftles, that they have been greatly misunderstood for want of carrying it in mind. And therefore, I fhall, in two difcourfes on these words,

I. Vindicate the juftice and goodness of God in diftinguishing the Jews by a peculiar covenant:

II. Give an account of the expiration of that covenant, and its ceafing to oblige or avail any part of mankind :

III. Shew, what alone can avail men; and explain the phrafe of a new creature, by which the apostle here expreffes it.

I. I fhall vindicate the juftice and goodness of Providence, in diftinguishing the Jews, from the rest of the world, by a peculiar covenant.

God is no refpecter of perfons: but in every age and nation, they who feared him and worked righteousness, have always been

accepted

accepted with him. The rewards of innocence, had man continued innocent, would have extended to the whole human race as did the fad confequences of our firft parents fall. From thefe God equally relieved all their defcendents and received them into a fecond covenant of grace and forgiveness, on the equitable terms of a fincere, though imperfect obedience, having for its principle, the belief more or lefs explicit, in proportion as revelation was, that he is, and is a rewarder of them that seek him. This faith faved Noab, the preacher and practifer of righteoufneft, with his family, when all fie befides, having corrupted their way§, were deftroyed by the deluge: that, after fo exemplary a punishment of fin, the world might begin anew from that good man, with better hopes of their obferving for the future the laws of the Almighty. Again, to all the defcendents of Noab, without exception, Ged equally delivered his precepts and his promifes: nor made any diftinction amongst them, till they had made one amongst themselves, by revolting in great numbers from true religion to idolatry and wickednefs. And then, as he had enabled them to fee originally, from the things that were made, bis eternal power and Godhead; as he had formed them to be a law, to themfelves, by the authority of natural confcience within them; as he had fuperadded fuch ftrong manifeftations of his acceptance of piety and virtue, and his abhorrence of Sin: what ground could there have been for complaint, if he had left them to obferve, or neglect at their peril, the notices already given them; without interpofing any father to direct them in this world; only referving for the next fuch rewards or punishments, as were fuitable to their behaviour? And yet there is reason to think, from occafional intimations in fcripture, that warnings and inflructions from heaven were ftill frequently vouchfafed to mankind."

But one man in particular, Abraham, and his defcendents, God was pleafed to blefs, beyond others, with communications. of his will; and admit into a covenant of peculiar favour: which to many hath appeared a preference very partial, and unkind to the reft of the world. But would it have been kinder to bestow this favour on none, than on fome? The reft cf

the

*Ads x. 34, 35

+ Heb. xi. 6. || Rom. i. 20

† 2 Pet. ii. 5. ¶ Rom. ii. 14.

Gen. vi. 12