Part It. to their Own damnation, bet they m1.1fi: be the Devils mouth Eo fpit reproach in the face of Holinefs. and confl!quently in the face of Chritl, as if they bid defiance to the Lord, and would make ic their employment to jeere and fcorn mens fouls from Heaven. If one in a family do with Mary cboofe the better .pare (though without any neglect of their calling in the world;) the reH make a wonder of them, and forne deride them: and fome hate and vilifie and t.hrearen them, and fewwill imitate them:and who more forw~rd to difi:afie and ~efpife them then the Mafiers of theFamilies that are bound w -teach and le~d them in that way! fo that a poor foul (even in a Land and Age that· countenanceth Holinefs more then alrnofi: any other in the world) can fcarcely fit at th~ feet of Chrifi, and Learn his word., and feek his Kingqom and ltighteoufnefs firfi:, but they are gazed at, and cenfured and derided, as if they did fome very foolith, neecllefs, yea or wicked thing ! As if it were the only folly for a man to follow Jefus Chrifi, and obey his God, and fave h1s fo1.1l, , and do that work with greatefi diligence, for which he is a man, for which he bath his Life, and Time, and Mercies, :tnd which if he negleCt, he is lofi for ever ! The Lord have Mercy upon the poor deluded world ! whenfe wmes this general darnpe and doccage upon thermdfr/landings and rh.: heartJ of men ! of Great men, of ~earnedmen, of men that are acco1:1nted wife in theworld! It is GoeJ. and Evil that confiituteth all that wonderful diffe– rence that · is. between the Rea{onable creatures both here and l1ereafrer : TheGood of Holinefs,- and the evu' of fin do m;;1ke the difference, between the Godly and the wickfd: the Good of Everlafting Happir;efs, and tbe Evil of Evrrlafling Mifery, dothmake tbe difference between the Glori~ed and the Dflmn– ed. Goodnefs in General is fo naturally the object of mans will, , that Evil as Evil cannot be defired, and Good as Good cannot be hated. What then is the matter that few attain the greare£t good, and few will fcape the greateR mifery ? It is be– caufe they would not Choofe that Go!id i and refufe the wrq and cllu[e of Mifery. But how cometh it to pafs that men will rna'ke no wifer achaice ! Is the cafe fo doubtful that they cannot be re- ·· folved in it? every man wotild have rfuat which be think! is Be/f : for him. Why do men followafrer wealth, or pleafurc, or crt:dit m theworld, bu; beca.ufe they take it to be JJeft for them-? Why. GO<j
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