not ideas sufficiently great of the bulk of my auditors to engage me to be very exact in expounding this third article. I fear, were I to enlarge on this part of my subject, I fear I should raise insurmountable obstacles to the end, which I should propose in opening the subject. Forgive an opinion so inglorious to your piety, but too well adjusted to the imperfections of it. We dare not form such a plan for you as Jesus Christ formed for St. Paul, when speaking of this new proselyte to Ananias, he told him, I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name sake, Acts ix. 16. Martyrdom for doctrines, I grant, seems at first more shocking than martyrdom for morality: but taken all together, it is perhaps less insurmountable. To die for religion is not always the worst thing in the calling of a christian. Virtue wakes up into vigor in these circumstances, and renders itself invincible by its efforts. Even worldly honor sometimes comes to embolden. That kind of heroism, which is attributed to man making such a splendid sacrifice, supports under exquisite torments.

There is another kind of suffering, longer and more fatiguing, and therefore more difficult. It is a profession, a detail, a trade of suffering, if I may express myself so. To see one's self called to live among men, whom we are always obliged to contradict upon subjects, for which they discover the greatest sensibility; to be excluded from all their pleasures; never to be admitted into their company, except when they are under afflictions and restraints; to hear one's looks, and habits turned into ridicule, as they said of the prophet Elisha, he is an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins, 2 Kings i. 8. What a punishment! Men, who have withstood all the terrors of racks and dungeons, have yielded to the

violence of this kind of persecution and martyrdom. We will not be insensible of the frailty of `our auditors, and, therefore we will omit a discussion of the acute and horrid pains of this kind of martyrdom.

IV. We are to treat fourthly, of the obligation of speaking of the testimonies of God before kings. We ground this on the nature of this duty. You have heard, that it consists in urging the rights of God before great men, and though it be at the hazard of all the comforts and pleasures of life, in professing to respect the moral part of religion. We do not mean an unseasonable and indiscreet manner of doing so. The duty of confessing Jesus Christ before tyrants, in regard to his doctrines, hath its bounds; and so hath that of confessing his morality. There was more enthusiasm than true zeal in such ancient confessors as voluntarily presented themselves before persecutors, and intrigued for the glory of martyrdom. So in regard to the present subject, in our opinion, it is not requisite that we should intrude into the company of the great to reprove them, when we have reason to believe our rebukes would be injurious to ourselves, and contribute nothing to the glory of religion. All the actions of a christian should be directed by prudence. We only expect, you should never blush for the precepts of your great lawgiver, never contribute, by mean adulation, or profound silence, to the violation of them, in short, that you should openly profess to fear God always when your profession is likely to convince a sinner, or to convert a saint.

This duty carries its own evidence along with it. Let us here compare the doctrines of religion with the precepts of it. The precepts of religion are as

essential as the doctrines, and religion will as certainly sink, if the morality be subverted as if the theology be undermined. Moreover, doctrines

are absolutely useless without morality, and the doctrines of religion are only proposed to us as grounds of the duties of it. The first doctrine of religion, the foundation of all the rest, is, that there is only one God: but why doth God require us to admit the doctrine of his unity? It is that we may not divide supreme love, the character of supreme adoration, between the supreme Being and creatures; for on this subject it is said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart. Now were I to deny this second proposition, we ought not to divide between God and any creature that love, which is the essence of supreme adoration, should I be a less odious apostate, than if I denied the first? One of the most essential points of our divinity is, that there is a future state. why doth God require us to believe a future state? It is that we should regard the present life as the least considerable period of our duration. If then, I deny this practical proposition, the present life is the least considerable part of our duration, am I an apostate less odious than if I deny this proposition of speculation, there is a future state? We say the same of all other doctrines.

But

If it be the duty of a christian to confess the doctrines of religion, and if a simple genuflexion, and the offering of one grain of incense, be acts of denial of these truths of speculation; I ask, Are not one act of adulation, one smile of approbation, one gesture of acquiescence also acts of denial in regard to practical truths? Most certainly. In times of persecution it was necessary to lift up the standard of Jesus Christ, to confess him before Herod and Pilate, and before all, who took

these persecutors of the church for their examples. In like manner, while the church enjoys the most profound peace, if innocence be oppressed, if we see modesty attacked, if we hear the sophisms of sin, we must learn to say, each in his proper sphere, I am a christian, I hate calumny, I abhor oppression, I detest profaneness, and licentiousness, and so on.

The further you carry this comparison of martyrdom for doctrines with martyrdom for duties, the more fully will you perceive, that the same reasons which establish the necessity of the first confirm that of the last, and that apostates from morality are no less odious than those from divinity. Let us for a moment examine what makes the first martyrdom necessary, I mean that for doctrines. Some reasons regard the believers themselves. Our attachment to the religion of Jesus Christ may be doubtful to ourselves, before we suffer for it. Martyrdom is a trial of this attachment. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you, 1 Pet. iv. 12. Some regard the spectators, in whose presence God calls his children to suffer for religion. Christians have made more disciples to the true religion by suffering persecution, than tyrants have taken from it by persecuting. This is a second view of martyrdom. A martyr may say with his divine master, I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me, John xii. 32. Some of these reasons regard the honor of religion for which God calls us to suffer. What can be more glorious for it than that peace, and joy, and firmness, with which it inspires its martyrs? How ravishing is this religion, when it supports its disciples under the most cruel persecutions! How truly great doth it appear, when it

indemnifies them for the loss of fortune, rank and life; when it makes them see through a shower of stones, the object of their hope, and impels them to exclaim with St. Stephen, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God! Acts vii. 56. This is a third view of martyrdom, and it would be as easy to increase the list as it is to make the application. Let us apply to martyrdom, for duties what we have said concerning martyrdom for doctrines, and we shall be obliged to conclude, that the same reasons establish the necessity of both.

Let us not pass lightly over this article. If there be a martyrdom of morality, how many apostates have we among us? How often have we denied our holy religion? How often, when it hath been jeeringly said to us, thou also wast with Jesus, have we sneakingly replied, I know not what thou sayest?

V. We come to our last article, the crown of moral martyrdom. Here a new order of objects present hemselves to our meditation. Pardon me, if I cannot help deploring the loss, or the suspension of that voice with which for three and twenty years I have announced the testimonies of God so as to be clearly heard at the remotest parts of this numerous auditory. However, I will try to present to you at least a few of the truths, which I dare not undertake to speak of in their utmost extent.

The martyrdom of morality! A man who can say to God, as our prophet said, I will speak of thy testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed, finds a rich reward, first in the ideas, which a sound reason gives him, of shame and glory; secondly, in the testimony of his own conscience; thirdly, in the approbation of good people; and 2 z

VOL. IV.