femble, or to deny our faith. We fee how infectious example is; and if we wanted evidence, this age should witnefs how catching the fpirit of libertinifm is. The man who hides his own religion close in his heart, tempts others, who fufpect not his hypocrify, to throw theirs quite out; and whilst he rejoices in this fheet-anchor of a pure inward faith, he fees others who fteer after him make fhipwreck of their faith and their falvation. And if he can in the mean time think himself innocent, and void of offence towards God and towards man, his understanding is as unaccountable as his faith.

These reasons, I think, will entitle me to conclude, that it is part of every man's religion to own the faith and hope that is in him: that it is abfurd to have any reliance upon a fecret faith, which is of no use to him who has it, as long as it is kept fecret; and whenever fuch faith is openly contradicted or denied, it may aggravate, but never can atone for the hypocrify.

I have hitherto spoken in general of denying God and his truth: and have reafoned upon the nature of religion in general, in order to come at my conclufion. The text indeed fpeaks particularly of being ashamed of Christ, and of his word; but then it speaks to fuch as believe in Chrift, for others are not liable to the charge of being ashamed of him : the very nature of the crime here mentioned fuppofes a faith in the Gofpel. Now, to every believer in Chrift, and in his words, the arguments already used are directly applicable. If we believe him to have received all power from the Father, and that he is our governor, and fhall be our judge, there is

the same reason to profess this faith, the fame danger in diffembling it, as our faith in God, confidered as governor of the world. If we receive the words of Chrift, they are to us the truths of God, and must be profeffed with the fame conftancy, or denied with the fame hazard of our falvation.

Under this head I have one thing more to observe to you, that there are in this vice, as indeed in moft others, very different degrees. While fome were contented to hide themfelves, and diffemble their acquaintance with Chrift, St. Peter openly denied him, and confirmed it with an oath, that he knew not the man. Thus fome for fear in former ages, thofe days of perfecution, denied their Lord; and fome in these days, fuch is our unhappy case, are fo vain and conceited, as to be afhamed of the Lord who bought them. Among thefe, forme openly blafpheme him; others are content to make a fport of his religion; whilft a third fort profefs a pleasure in fuch converfation, though their hearts ache for their iniquity, but they want the courage to rebuke even by their filence the fin of the scorner. All these are in the number of those who are afhamed of Chrift: to all thefe it fhall be one day faid, I know ye not. For, if this great woe be threatened to all fuch who, to fave their lives, deny their Lord, and have the extremity of their cafe, the cruelty of their enemies, and the natural infirmities of men, to plead in their behalf; what muft be their lot, who, for the fame iniquity, have little more to allege, than that they did it to please an idle companion? But this confideration will meet us again under the other head, which is,

Secondly, To inquire into the feveral temptations, which lead men to this crime of being afhamed of Chrift, and of his words.

: The fountain from which these temptations spring is plainly enough defcribed in the text, This adulterous and finful generation. And we know full well, that there is not a natural fear lurking in the heart of man, but the world knows how to reach it; not a paffion, but it has an enchantment ready for it; no weakness, no vanity, but it knows how to lay hold of it: fo that all our natural hopes and fears, our paffions, our infirmities, are liable to be drawn into the confpiracy against Christ and his word, Now you see the source of these temptations, it is easy to conceive how many, and in their kinds how various they are. But there is one diftinction to be made with refpect to these temptations, well worth our obferving: some there are which purfue us, and fome there are which we purfue: to the one fort we unwillingly refign our faith and our religion, driven thereunto by fears and terrors, or by pains and torments, which we are not able to endure. This is the cafe of fuch as fall in times of perfecution; and we, who are men of like paffions, cannot but commiferate their condition, and plead in their behalf the common excufe, which belongs to the whole race, of weakness and infirmity. But the other kind of temptations come upon our invitation: we make our faith a facrifice to the great idol, the world, when we part with it for honour, wealth, or pleasure. In this circumstance men take pains to shew how little they value their religion, and feek occafions to difplay their libertinism and infidelity,

in order to make their way to the favour of a corrupt and degenerate age. This behaviour admits of no excufe. These are they, who, properly speak ing, love the world more than God and his Chrift; and let us not envy them the love of the world, for they will find it a dear purchase at the last.

But whenever infidelity grows into credit and repute, and the world has fo vitiated a tafte, as to efteem the symptoms of irreligion as figns of a good understanding and found judgment; when there is fo little sense of serious things left, that a man cannot appear to be in earnest concerned for his religion without being thought a fool, or fufpected to be a knave; then there arifes another temptation to make men afhamed of Chrift, and of his word. No man likes to be defpifed by thofe about him; and he who wants perhaps neither riches nor honour, wants however to live in credit, and in good esteem with his acquaintance, and to preserve at least the character of a man of fenfe and understanding. How this general and almoft natural inclination muft work, whenever the age is fo far debauched as to esteem irreligion a fure fign of a good underftanding, is eafily conceived. Thofe who have a large fhare of vanity will be drawn in to approve and encourage, to admire and imitate, the much celebrated freedom of thinking; for so it is called, though, properly speaking, it might more truly be styled a freedom of talking. Others will be tempted to fit ftill, and give way to the humour of the world; and will carefully hide their faith in their hearts, for fear any figns of it fhould appear to the utter difcredit of their understanding. This is, this

always will be, the cafe in fuch circumstances. But what must be done? may fome fay: Muft we feclude ourselves from conversation, or muft we fet up to reprove and rebuke every idle word we hear? If we do, our company will foon leave us, though we leave not them. Wonderful difficulties thefe! So hard, it seems, it is to refrain from the company of those who make a mock of fin! An hardship which a good man would choofe, and which every bad one must choose, if ever he intends to forfake the error of his ways. There is a contagion in ill company, and he who dwells with the fcorner fhall not be guiltlefs. But, fince thefe difficulties appear so great, compare them with the real hardships that furrounded the Chriftians of the firft ages: they lived in perils, on all fides were terrors, within were fears, without was death. In these circumstances they were called to confefs Chrift in the face of an enraged and cruel world; and the rule given them to go by was, not to fear those who could kill the body only, but to fear him who could deftroy both body and foul everlastingly. If this was their rule under fuch real difficulties, what must be yours un der fuch pretended ones? If they were not permit ted to fear the rage of kings and princes, fhall you be excused for fearing the fcorn or the refentment of a light companion? If they were called to brave the sword, and to look every image of death boldly in the face; fhall you find pity, because you were afraid perhaps of being laughed at and despised by those who are void of understanding?

But not to infift upon this, which may perhaps be too high a degree of virtue for the times we live