,. ·'i-9'? ~ SttJnt br A11r.Nit: Part II.' ,it. ··was~etter when. men had not fo much of the Script1:1re, and .~.f Chrdl and holwefs, the food, rhe life, the health of fouls~ · 12. And I the lefs believe you, becaufelnnd thu thiJ bath ·- ~een t~~ eommm fPeecb of others in all former agn. They that 1tved m .the day es of your fathers, fatd fo of the former tirnes , . [_It 'W_tU formerly a hetter world then now. J And if you had · hved m thofe dayes of your fathers fore-f ather!, you would l1ave heard them fay t-he fame. Ics common with men to fe el theevil chats pre[ent, and to praife the days that are paft whore evil they felt not, or have forgorren. B.ur hear wha't God faith, Eccle[. 7. I o. [Say not thou, What is the C~tufe tbat t~e farmer dayes wert hetter then thefe? fer thou doft not enquire wife• ly coneerning this. J Ecclef. I. 9. The thiHg that luttb been, it is that Whichfhalt he : and thPit which is done, is that :which /hall ue d11ne, and there i.t no new thing under the S~tn. J I 3. And little c:aufe have we to believ€ you, when -we have -;re/ent experience that pur w~rds are fal{e. We fee that thofe are the heft, thAt are mojJGodly. He is blind that feeth not an exceeding difference betwixt them and fuch a~ you that fpeak againfi them. Do not wefee that they are fober, when fome of )'OH are drunk!n? and that they are feeking heavenwhen you are iecking the world? and that they are providing for: their [oHls and pledjing God~ and irnployed in the mofi fweet and heavenly works, while you are p01mpering the flefh, or making provifion to farisfie its JuHs? Do we not hear their fpeechn are of God; and their falvation , apd thin£s that edif.ie, while you curfcor fwear, ortalk filthily, or idly and u,nprof.itably like dreaming or di!lra d·~ d men '? And yet would you make us believe that you are tU goodas they, and tl1at Religion makes men worf( ? But you fay, that fvr 11!1 this they are (rcretly tU had M other!. Foolifh malice! If itbefecret,how do you k.,now it? Ifyou ~mw it/ how is it fecret? and its marvail that you do nor make ·it known ! Is it not eafie to fay fo by a !o/J, or a S11m11el, or by Chrifl: himfdf, if [~tying fq may ferve turn, and a wicked tongue may pafs for proof? You may fay that in fecret I eommit all the fins imaginable: and how can I difprove Y?U~ when Ihave no witnefs b1:1t only by defiring yon to prove 1t 1f you can! But 0 happy.are th.e fervants of rh~ Lord, that ar~ e~n i~; fecre!. alwayei m the prefence of thetr Judge, who Wl'll bear WJtnels for them, and jufiifie them.againfi malignant tongues ! But
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