:n6 rher~fore of ferving and pleating this malicious Unrighteous world; ''! contemn thfir blind and unjutl cenlures, and appeal to the mofi righteous God. 9· 52· 17· If you have adtjign for a name of honour when you are dead, coufider fl'hat pon-•tr a prev::iling fal1itm m:1y h.tve to corrupt the Hijlory of your lift, and reprefent you to pofterity per[eUly contrary to what yore are ; and how impoflible it if for pojferity to k.,lfdw whofe Hijfory is tbe produU of f:1m3. .lib~rri- mt~liciouJ Jlame!cjf lieJ, and rvbofc ir the narrative of impartial truth. What contrary Hittories are !::~~::mcie~·~ thrre of particular perfons and aCtions written. by ~en of the !ame Religion: as of Pope Gregory the ~4 i ,.. 11 I r.!. Cv_Lnth, and the Empcrours that con~cnd~d wHh h1m: and about Pope Joan, and many the like 11d ~r:w.--:i .•.:;. ca!t:s when· you m.iy read fcores ofH!llonans on one fide, and on the other. 9· 53· 18. Remember that the bolicft Saintr or Apojflu could nevtr pleafl tlie world, 1Jor tfcapt thtir ce,.furn, Jl:mdrrJ ~JJtd crutltiCJ; m nor Jc[~H Cbrijt himfolf. And can you think by honclt means 10 pleafe them better than Chritl and all his Saints have done? You have not the wifdom that Chriil had tn pleafe men, and to avoid offence: You have not theperfill innocency and unblarneablene(S that Chrili had: You cannot heal their fickncffes and infirmities, and do that good to them to pleafe and win them, as JeCm Chrill did. You cannot convince them , and confirain them to reverence you, by manifold miracles, as Jefus Chritt did. Can you imitate fuch an excellent pattern as is fet you, by the holy, patient,charitable, unwearied Apofile Paul, At:iJ 20· & 1 Cm·. 4 , & 9· & 2 Cor. 4· & 5· & 6. & to. & II· & 12. If you cannot, how can you pleafe them that would not be pleafed by fuch unirnitable works of love and power ? The more Pa,.l toved fame of his hearer', the lefs IJe wa1 beloved, 2 Cor. 12· 1)· They ufed him M an enemy for tcUiJtg tbem the truth, Gal. 4· 16. Though he brcame aU thing,J to aU men, he could fave but fome, nor pleafe but[ome~_ I Cor. 9· 22. And what are you that you !bould better plcale them? A•·iai.<rs hav9· 54· r9. Godlineji, vtrtue and honcjly it {elf will not pleafe the world, and therefore you cannot ing go< the hope to pleafe them by that which is not pleajing to them. Wtll men be pleafed by that whtch they Smumc of hare ? and by the actions which .they think accufe them and condemn them ? And ifyou will be Vn· Juft, wu godly andViciou1 to pleafe them, you fell your fouls, your Confcience, and your God to plca(e rhem. ~:r,::,."Js,,~h~ God and they are not pleafed with the fame wayes : And which doyou think lhould jirjl be pleafed? dweed to If you dtfplcafe htm for thctr favour, you wtll buy 1t dear. b.mifu him: anJ every one that voted again!l bim l1cinR ro write clown his N~me , 2 C!o-.vn tb!t cowlJ not wfire, c:tmt to A1ijlidu to ddire him to write down Ari(li.1£s nJmc : He a~ked him, whe·her he knewArijlid!s; and the man antwcred, no i but he would vote :.gainlt bim ~ccaufe his name W?S ]11jl. Arijlides concealing himfelf, fuUi!led th.' mans de!ire, and. wro~e. his own Name m the Roll and g:ave Jt h;m :' fo e~lily d1d. he bear it to be condemn~d of r~c world for b~wg 111p: ~'!utarch u Ar;jhdt. lr wu not _o~]y Sma~; ~bar w.u rhus ufcd ( fauh Lat'l'liiiJ ) Narn Homerun1 l·elut infammteru du.chm·$ qumqu:~.gum multbrunt, Tyttzumque menm uapotemdue· ruur,-&c.--Whicb. of th: Prophets have not your Fathers perfccuteJ? Ma~tb, 1J. 9· 55· 20· They are not pleafed with God himfelf: yta, no man doth difpleofe fo many and [o mucb a1 he: And can you do more than God to pleafe them? or can you dtjfrve their favour more than he? They are daily difpleafed with his works of providence: One would have rain, when another would have none : One would have the winds to ferve his voyage, and another would have: them in a contrary end ~ One parry is difpleafed, becaufe another is pleafcd and exalred : Every ene– my would have his caufe fucceed, and the victory to be flis: Every contender would have all go on his fide. God mull be ruled by them, and fit himfclf to the intcrcfl of the mofl unjult, and to the will of the rnoft vicious, and do as they would have him, and be a fervant to their luLls," or they will not be pleafed with him. And his Holy Naturt, and his Holy Word, and Holy Wayes, dif– plea{e them more than his ordinary providence. They arcdifpleafed that his Word is fo precife and flrict, and that he commandeth them fo holy and fo HriCl: alife, and that he threatneth all the ungodly with damnation : He rnufi alter his Laws , and make them more loofe, and fit them to their flelhly interefl and lufls, and fpeak as they would have him, without any ditliculries, before they will be pleafed with them ( unlefs he alter their minds and hearts)- And how ,do you think they will be plcafed with him at lajl, when he fulfills his threatnings' When he kiUeth them, and turneth their bodies todufl, and their guilty fouls to torment and defpair9· s6· 21· Hvw C.tn you pleafe men tb.::t canllot pleafe themftlves ? Their own defire and cboicc will pleafe them but a little while. Like children, they art foon weary of that which they cryed for : They mutl needs have it, and when they have it, it is naught, and caft aWay: They are nei– ther p1eaftd with it, nor without it. They are like {ick perCons that long for every meat, or drink th<y think of: and when they have it, they cannot get it down: For the ficknefs is fiill within them that caufeth their difplcafurc. How many do trouble and torment themfelves by their paf!iens and foUy from day to day ? And can you pleafi: fuch fdf-difpleafers? §. 5i· How can yo" pleafe aU others, whmyou cannot pleafe yo"r jilvts? If you are perfans fear– ing God, and feel the burden of your fins, and have life enough to be fcnfible of your difeafes, I dare fay there are nohe in the world fo difpleafing to you, as you are to your felves. You carry that about you, and fed that within you which difplcaCeth you more than all the en'emies you have in the world. ~our paffions, and corruptions, your want of Love to God, and your ltrangenefs to him and the hfe to come; the daily faultinefs of your duties and your lives, are your daily burden, and difpleare you moft. And if you be not able, and wife, andgood enough to pleafC your felves, can you be able, a~dwife, and good enough to plcaft ihe world? As your fins are nearejt to your {elves, fa are your graces; and as.you know more evil by your felvcs, than others know, fo you know more good by your f<lves. That little tire will not warm all the room, which will not warm the hearth it lyeth on. 9· 58. Dired. '"'
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