`576 HOW TO no GOOD TO MANY. hope appearing of recovery. In the West, a dead image of reli- gion, and unity, and order, dressed up with a multitude of gáuds, and set up against the life and soul of religion, unity and order, and a war hereupon maintained for their destruction, with sad suc- cess; so that, usually, the more zealous men are for the Papal and formal human image, the more zealouslythey study the extirpa- tion of worshiping God in spirit and truth, and thirst after the blood of the most serious worshipers ; and, cry down them as intolerable enemies who take their baptism for an obliging vow, and seriously endeavor to perform it, and live in good earnest, asp Christianity bindeth them; and they take it for an insufferable grime to prefer God's authority before man's, and to plead his law against any thing that men command them. Ina word, he is unworthy to be accounted a Christian with them, who will be a Christian indeed, and not despise the laws of Christ, and unwor- thy to have the liberty and usage of a man that will not sin and damn his soul : so much more cruel are they than the Turkish tyrants, who, if they send to a man for his head, must be obeyed. And -is the devil a better master than Christ? And shall his work be done with greater zeal and resolution ? Will he give his, servants a better reward? Should not all this awaken us to do good with greater diligence than they do evil ? And to promote love and piety more earnestly than they do malignity and iniquity? Is not saving church and state, souls and bodies, better worth resolution and labor than destroying them ? And the prognostics are encouraging. Certainly, Christ and his kingdom will _ prevail. At last, all his enemies shall be made his footstool ; yea, shall from him receive their doom to everlasting punishment which rebels against omnipotency, goodness and mercy, do deserve. If God be not God, if Christ will not con- when if there be no life to come, let them boast of their success; but when they are rottenness and dust, and their souls with devils, and their names are a reproach, Christ will be Christ, his promises and threatenings all made good; 2 Thess. i. 6, &c. He will judge it righteous to recompense tribulation to your troublers, he cometh with his mighty angels in flaming fire, to take vengeance. on rebels, and to be glorified in his saints, and admired. in all true believers. And when that solemn judgment shall pass on them that did good, and that did 'evil, described Matt. xxv., with a " Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom,".and' Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire," doing good and not doing it, much more doing mischief, will be better distinguished than now they are,. when they are rendered as the reason, of -those different dooms.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=