224 The IJard Ta-sk of Man-pleafers. do hearken to a Doeg to the wrong ofV avid, and murder_ of the Priefis, Prov. 18. S.'the words of a t:Jie-he.zrer are as woHndJ, Prov. z6. 20· lV/)(re no woocl u, the fire J!.Ol'th OHt: fo where there is no t.Jle-br 3 rct the Jlrife ce~J[eth. And when thefe are fiill neaf' men, and }'Oll far off, it is eafie for them to continue the mofi odiou~ reprefentation; of the mofi laudable perfons actions in the world. §. 46. 1 r, 7he impcrfc[iio" of aU mens under/landings and godlinefs is fo great, that the differences of , on judgememthat a;e amo11,~ t?e bcft, nilltend tothe i'!jttry and undervaluing of their brethren: One is ;~r~~~~e~: con~dent that_h_ts ~ay ts n~hr, and another as co~hdcnt of the contra~y: ~nd to how greatcon1...-..:!ium Deci- rcndmgs and mjune:s fuch differences may proceed, he that knoweth not m th1s age, fh1ll not know mum ~.<?lu: fortnc. VVcneednot go toPaul andB:trnabJr for an infiance (rharwasa far lighter cafe); Nor mlucuus. to EpiphaniM, l-liErom and Chry{njlome,; nor to rhofe Ages and ~~ragedies of. co?tend~ng Bilhops that in the E1fiern and \Vdtern Churches have been before us : Every one th1nkmg h1s caufe fo plain ~h~~~~l13t~ve as to jullitie himfelf in all that he faith a?d dorh, againfi thofe that prefume to differ from him: guii~y Confci- And {Urcly ) 'Olt may well expeCt fame d1fpleafure, even from g~od and learned men? when che tnccs to Cht1rcbrs have felt fuch dreadful concullions, and bleedeth to tlHs day , by fo horrtd divifions r~::l~~ilt}~~;~ thr_ough the remnants~ of that Pride and ]g11orance which her Reverend Guides have fiill bee~ :1~ SCr/CC.I guilty of. fpeJ.ks, like . . oa:: thlt hi:h an Ulcer, th:n ;;.t firll is hurt llith e,·cry touch, ~nd J.t b.fi even with the fufplciD'I of a touch; Tutum aliqua re> in mahco.,f.:tcmia przftat, nulla (eCUIUI\1. Put:\t cnim Cli:tmfi non deprebmduur ' fe pofiC depr:hendi l & imer fomuos lllQVCHtr. & quoties· ahcujus fce~us lo'tuimr, de fuo cog1t1t .s~11. F.pif 106. Et.Ep. 9'1· Prima ~ ~axim~ peccantiu:tl J>crna eft peccJ([~ ._'_ Hxc & fecund:~: pa:nz p1~munt & fequurnur, t1mcre ~emper ~ expave(cerc &. fe~u.nt':tt d.1ffi?(rc. fyran.n~ a~i:i quoq; frpe fufpdb funt. Tu e:go, h tyrann1dern t~t:o tem~e rup!>, :ttque tn ea confiabJ!~r~, CJVItltJs pr:nc1pcs. tolk, fi\·e llh amiCI, live inimJci v 1 deantur. Tbr.:~.Jbti!U i·: EpJ[l. Pcri.ud. li: Latrllo. Plerorumque ingenium dl , ut ctt:IU ahorum vel minima ptl'fcrutemur be~ efaB:a vcro ~d in propamlo poftr:a prxtereant ; [lcut Vultures corpora viva & fa»;a non fcntium, morticina ~·cro & cada\·er.l 11~ me:li Jcu,;t remotil odore p.;:rfequumur, Gali'ldr~s itArc.tn. Je[ltit. p. 5S· M:!.tth. tt· J8, 19. 9· 47· 12 · Tot' have mm of great Mutability to pleafe: That one hour m-ay be ready to wortl1ip you as Gods, and the next to fl:onc you, or account you as Devils, as they did byP11tel, and Chrili himfelf: what a Wcathcr~cock is the mind of man? dpccially of the vulgar and the rempori.zers? when you have fpent all your daycs in building your reputation on this Sand, one blaft oPwind, or Storm at lall, doth tumble it down, and all your ccfi and labour is lofl. Serve men as fub– miffively and carefully as yOu can; and after all, feme accident or failing of their unrighreous expectations, may make all that ever you did forgotten, and turn you out of the world with 1Yol– fcy'r groans, [If I had ferved God as faithfully as man, I had been bmer rewarded, and not for– faken in my dJ!Irtfs. J How many have fallen by the hands or frowns, of thofe whofe favour they had dearly purchafed 1perhaps at rhe price of their falvation' If ever you put fuch confidence in a friend, as not to confider that it is po1fible he may one day prove your enemy, you know not man; and may perhaps be better taught to know him, to your colt. §. ~8. 1 3· Evtry man livingjhaU zmav,idably be eng~ged by God bimfelf, ill fome dmie; which are -very ty.~ble to mifcon{irufrion, and wiUhave an nutjide and appearance of tvil to the offence of thofe that kJzoll' uor all tbe infide fJ11d circumftanca. And hence it comes to pafs, that a great part of Hiftory is little worthy of regard : Beca~fe the actions of P•biick,. perfons are difcerned but by the halves by mofi rhat write of the~n.. T he_y write mo~ by hearfay ; or know but the outfidt and feemings of things, and not the Spmt,and hfe, and reality of the cafe. Men have nor the choofing of their own duties, but God maketh them by his Law and hovidence: ,\nd it plcafeth him oft tO try his fervaiits in this kind : Many ot the circumfiances of their ad:ions, (hall remain unknown to men, that would juilitie them if they knew them, and acconnr thc::m ·as notorious fcandalous ptrfons, be~ cmfe they know them not. How like tO evil was the Ifraeliw taking the goods of the Egyptians l and how likely to by them open to their ccnfure ? So was AbrahamJ actempt to {acrihce his Son ? And [o was Davids eating the Shew-bread, and dancing almoft naked before the Ark : Chrills eat· ] 1 ;g and drinking with publicans and finn.ers: Pauls 'circumcifing 1imotby, and purifying in the Temple; with abundance fuch like, which _fall out in the lifeof cvt:ry Chritlian. No wonder if Ju· [ipiJ thought once of putting Mary a~ay, oil he knew the evidence of her miraculous conception; And how lyable was {he to cenfure by thofe that knew it not? 0 therefore how vain is the judgement of man! And how contra1y are they frequently to the truth? And with what caution rnuft Hifiory be read> And 0 how defirable is the great day of God,when all humane c~nfure fhall be juftly cenfured> §. 49· 14-'fhr pervtrfoc{s of maitJ 1 i1 fo great, tbat they require contraditJioJu aud impoffibilities Bf you, to teU you that the)• are refolvcd never to be pleafcd by _yott. IfJohn ufe fa_ffing, they !ay, Helmh a Devil: If Chrifi come eating aHddrink,!ng, they fay, bebold a gluttonouJ pcrfon, and a wine-bibber, a friend of p11hlicans a;u:l finntrJ. If your JUdgement and praClice be confurm.zble to fuperiours, efpe~ cially if it have admitted of a cb::tnge, you thall be judged meer Knavts and 'temp..:rizerJ: If it be not, you 01all he judged dijObcdicm, rrfraUory and jiditiouJ. If you Cpeak fair and plea(ingly, they will c_all you fiJttcrrr! and diffcmblers: If you ff,>eak more freely, thoug,h in a necelTa.ry ca!e, they will by ycu ,·ail. If 1accept of preferment, they will fay , I am ambitious, proud and world– ly: If I refufe it ( bow mod<llly foev<r) they will fay, I am difcomented, and have fediti· ous defigns. If I preach not when I am torbi.dden , I fhall be accufed as forfakJng rht Col· ling I undertool{, and obryi1zg m.m againft God; If I do preach, I fhall be accounted difobedient and feditious. If a friend or l<in!man dctire me to help him to fame place or preferment which he
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