neither God nor man will understand us to be such. Our Lord himself hath made the declaration, and it is no less just, than peremptory, He that is not with me, is against me*. Which then are we? Enemies or friends? Do we pronounce, by declining to appear for it, that the Gospel of Christ is of no value; or, by not being ashamed of it, that it is the power of God unto salvation †?

But indeed, were it allowable to be of neither part openly, is it advisable ? By declaring ourselves for the truth, we strengthen ourselves in it: we take up a character, which it will be our glory and our happipiness that we are bound to maintain. And in all likelihood we shall thus get rid of solicitations from infidels and libertines: who will never quit us, while they find us wavering or fearful to be touched, upon the subject; but will surely, either from decency or despair, be silent, when we have notified in a prudent manner our fixed resolution. To this we might also, if need were, add a most equitable request; that as they set up for the great and only friends of liberty, they would tolerate us in an errror, (if it can be one) which tends to make every individual virtuous, and every society flourishing; which comforts us under all afflictions here, and delights us with the hope of endless felicity hereafter: and that they would not think the belief of an ungoverned world, of unrewarded virtue, and unpunished villany; of God's having left his creatures without instruction in their duty, without certainty of his pardon and grace, without assurance of their future existence and reward, so extremely meritorious a doctrine; as to entitle the maintainers of it to persecute the rest of mankind with scorn and ridicule, (the only wea+ Rom. i, 16,

Matt. xii. 30.

pons they have) till all are brought to an unity of profession in this blessed creed.

Concealing our faith may indeed secure us from being attacked upon it; but not from the dangers of licentious discourse, not from being tempted in various ways by others, not from growing indifferent and betraying ourselves into sin. Besides: whilst we keep our principles unknown, through a meanspirited fear of bad men, we miss the esteem and friendship of the good: which may be of unspeakable use to us; perhaps in the most important respect, enabling us to hold fast our integrity*.

But we are to measure the value of owning our regard to religion, not only by the benefit, which we may receive from it, but the service, which we may do by it. One branch of it is, frequenting public wor ship. Now it is very true, that many who stay at home, can use the same prayers, and read as good sermons in private, as they hear in the congregation. But, (besides that probably they will not if they can; and that certainly numbers, whom their practice may influence, cannot if they would;) were every single good Christian to spend the whole time, which they employ in religious exercises here together, just in the same manner separately; still the mutual animating of each other, the instructive example, the awakening call to a thoughtless world, these things would be lost; the Christian church, the pillar and ground of the truth, would fall to ruin, by quick degrees; the Christian system of religion and virtue would die and be forgotten with the present believers in it, or even before them; excepting so much of it, as might perhaps be imperfectly preserved by methods less effectual.

It is not therefore without cause, that so great a stress is laid on attending God's holy ordinances : which whoever frequents reverently, teaches others to frequent them in the same manner; but whoever shews contempt of them, encourages others to do so too. And the like is the case through the whole extent of piety and morals. Where our influence is the weakest, yet every one who appears in earnest on the side of God and Christ and virtue, must add some strength to the cause, and some spirit to the supporters of it. It is a common warfare, in which we are engaged. If any one be allowed to desert his station, every one must have the same allowance; and then, humanly speaking, what hinders, but all must be given up? The patrons of infidelity and libertinism, who, as one should think, have many reasons to be reserved, they declare themselves without the least scruple. Only consider therefore, if we are to be shame-faced and silent, while they are bold and boastful; how monstrous is the impropriety, and how unhappy will be the event!

But besides the general consequences of holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering*, or shrinking from it; let us reflect also, what particular effects it may have on our friends, our dependants, our servants, our families; on those who are united to us in the nearest relations, and whose happiness constitutes a great part of our own. All who barely know us and think well of us, will of course be in some degree, either the steadier in the faith and practice of Christianity for our public adherence to it, or more unsettled for our seeming to slight it: and this one difference in our behaviour may very possibly have weight enough with more than one

Heb. x. 23.

amongst them, to determine his conduct, and state for ever. But such as are intimate with us, will be more powerfully swayed by what they see in us. And they who live under our roof, who naturally learn almost every thing from us, who pride themselves perhaps in being like us, there is no hope that they will be religious, if they have any ground to imagine, that we are not cordially so. But taking due care to shew them that we are, will do much towards promoting their future happiness at the same time with our own; and indeed the present welfare too of both. For as religion furnishes the strongest motives to every part of virtue and prudence; so unless our example instruct those around us to perform their duty towards God, they will probably soon come to neglect it towards us, as well as towards others and themselves: whereas giving proof that we honour him, is the way to be honoured in thought, word, and deed, by them; by all the good, and even by most of the bad. Or how unequally soever esteem may be distributed now, all will be abundantly rectified in that decisive hour, when they, that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake: some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt: when they, that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they, that turn many to righteousness, as the stars, for ever and ever*.

* Dan. xii. 2, 3.

SERMON XXVIII.

LUKE Xiii. 23, 24.

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

THERE is scarce any thing which proves both wisdom and rightness of mind more fully, than proper behaviour on sudden occasions, and proper answers to unforeseen questions: for what a man shews himself to be at such times, we have in general great cause to believe he really is. Now to this trial, our Saviour, living a public life, in the midst of persons taking all advantages to insnare him, was perpetually exposed; and his character never suffered by it. His temper continued always composed and beneficent: his replies, when circumstances allowed it, were open and plain; at other times mixed with prudent reserve; but always tending to convert the most unfit enquiries into opportunities of communicating seasonable instruction. One instance of this, amongst many, the text affords: where we find, that as he went through the cities and villages teaching, some forward inquisitive man was earnest to be told, if there should be few or many saved. To this enquirer personally he answered nothing but reproving his superfluous