comfortablewalking with God. 13r hounds frarling about a bone, and they will bothdoggedly concurre in the purfuiteof that harmeleffe beaf}. It is juft fo with graceleffe men againft Gods Child : and ever the more forwardbee is in the narrowway, the more fitrioufly is bee perfumed by the fpite of tongues. The moll refolute for Gods glory, and in good caufes, is ordinarily moll rayled againft, and reviled. The foule fpirit ofgood-fellowlhip,as they call it, is foaming out againft Gods chiefeft Favou.. rites, the fouleft cenfures : That they are hypocrites, hum- rifts,faaionifts,traitors,peftilcnt fellowes.and all that naught is. Davidwas fochargedbySaul and his Courtiers : Jeremy by the prophane Nobles : thegodly /met by Hamm: Nay, Chrift himfelfeby the Scribes and Tharifes : Paul by Ter- term : the Primitive Chriflians by theHeathens : and all that will live godlily inChrift Ribs, mutt Locke for the fame por- tion, the fame perfecution atnongft the menof this world ; even to be molt vile, and contemptible in their conceits and conftruaion. There is no creature that ever Godmade, not Satan hitnfelfeexcepred,which is more malicioufly let againft and cenfitred, then good men. Neither lhould any have fa bad a name as they, could the hellifh mills of virulent tongues obfcureand flaine the glory of their reputation. If fentence fhould palls upon the godly at that laft andgreat Day, according to the verdiet of them that are not friends or parties, wee fhould certainely all bee call and condem- ned, nota man freed and acquit. But bleff,ne God , the Searcher of all hearts, the Almighty Protetiour of all in. nocency, who to the fhame and confufion of all 1picefull oppofites, will vvitneffe for us at that higheft Tribunall ; and then at the fur theft before men and Angels, will bring forth our righteoufnefe as the light , and our judgements as the Noone-day. Oh that I hadfome to heare mee ! faith lob Behold my ligne that the !Almighty will witnefe for mee: though mine adverfaries Amid write a books againfi mee, d.c. And in this itching humour of mil the fer . vants of God, the wicked are fo wilful' atxl eager , that rather then they will want matter, they will moft bafely, K 3 and
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