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praise which hath thence its rise, and its commencement; but, to complete and perfect it, there must be a farther process. And since it is written, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved;" whatsoever attainments are previous to such end, should be considered rather as steps which lead to the top of the ascent, than as the very top itself. A confessor, 'tis allowed, hath great advantages; but then his danger and his duty rise in proportion to them; for his adversary thence is the more enraged against him; and he is the more obliged to a strict observance of the gospel, from having attained already to such a measure of grace and of glory by it. For our Lord hath thus determined upon the case before us: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required." Let no one therefore be tempted to venture his soul upon the credit of a confessor, or learn from his practice, injustice, arrogance, or breach of faith. As he is a confessor, he should be meek and humble, and modestly keep within the rank prescribed to him; and as he is called a confessor of Christ, he should imitate Christ in his practice, as well as confess his name. Now since Christ hath declared that "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted;" and since he was himself exalted by his Father, because, though he was the word, and power, and wisdom of God, yet he humbled himself upon earth: how is it imaginable

that he should love an haughty disposition, who hath prescribed humility to us in his gospel, and himself received from his Father an ample recompence for his own humiliation unto death? A confessor of Christ can never preserve his title to that glorious character, if the majesty and honour of Christ be through him blasphemed. The tongue which hath confessed Christ, should never after that speak evil. If it shall prove faulty in this point, and shall thence deserve the abhorrence of all good men; if it shall lavish away the advantages of its laudable confession by unsuitable conversation, and stain the life which it had before adorned; if the man whom it hath made a confessor shall leave the church in which he became so, shall break the bonds of unity, and betray the faith, he was before so true to; (if this, I say, shall be found his case) he must never flatter himself, as if his past confession were a mark of his being elected to a crown of glory, inasmuch as his demerits have thence indeed the greater aggravation, and the punishment of his fall will, in reality, be the heavier for the height from which he is fallen.

16. Our blessed Lord, we know, elected Judas to be in the number of his twelve apostles; and yet did Judas after that betray him. Yet were not the faith and constancy of the other apostles shaken, because the traitor Judas revolted from their company; nor are the honour and sanctity of confessors

in this case sufferers, because the faith of some in that number could not stand the test. The blessed apostle hath put a case somewhat like the present, where he saith : "What if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar." The major part of our confessors have preserved their faith untainted and unshaken, and have governed themselves in all points by the rules of the gospel; they have taken no single step injurious to the peace of the church as remembering that in the church they arrived at the honours due to their illustrious character; and the firmness of their faith becomes hence entitled to the greater commendation, that they have avoided all participation of those men's sins, whose partners they had been in the honour of their glorious confession; but with the advantage of a clear gospel light, and an untainted innocence, like that of their Lord and master, they have merited as high encomiums, for preserving the peace of his church inviolate, as before they had done by their successful conflict with his and their common enemy.

17. My heart's desire, brethren, is, and I should rejoice if any exhortation or advice of mine might be so effectual, that no single soul should be lost out of the flock of Christ; but that the church should see all her children united in one body, and safe within her bosom; yet if the event of things

should prove so unhappy, that she should not prevail upon certain leaders of the schism, and heads of the faction, to quit their desperate courses, and to return into her pasture; let others, however, who have been misled by them, through their own simplicity and undesigning error, or through the cunning craftiness of those who have lain in wait to deceive them; (let such, I say,) disengage with the soonest from the snare they are involved in, return immediately from the error of their ways, and steer the course which will lead them to the kingdom of heaven. The apostle (we may observe) is very earnest in his exhortation to this purpose: "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.' And again: "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." Care must be taken to avoid the company of such offenders, we must even run out of it if we cannot otherwise decline it, lest whilst we join ourselves to such as walk disorderly, and follow them in their various wanderings and deviations, we also swerve from the way of truth, and entangle ourselves in the guilt of their transgression. There is but one God, and one Christ, one church, one faith, and one entire body of christian

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people, united to each other by the cement of a mutual concord. Now unity will not consist with division, nor will one body endure to have its bowels torn, or the continuity of its parts broken. Whatsoever shall be separated from the fountain of life, can have no life remaining in it, after having lost all communication with its vital principle. The Holy Spirit of God hath well admonished us, saying: "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." He therefore who would be thought one of the children of peace, should seek and follow after it. He who is acquainted with the bond of charity, and is desirous of maintaining it, should refrain his tongue from the mischiefs of contention. Our blessed Lord, when his passion was near approaching, left this to us, amongst other excellent gifts: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." This is then the blessed inheritance which our Lord hath bequeathed to us, and all his promises are suspended upon this condition; wherefore if we claim to be heirs of Christ, let us abide in his peace; if we pretend to be the children of God, we should be lovers of peace: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." The children of God should therefore be careful to answer their character; should be meek

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