t f Difeturfeoftrue happineffe. Simplicitie & the like.But before I defcend to thefe particu- lars, give mee leave to propofe unto you the fountaine and ground of them , which I take to bee that great and eter- nall oppofition which is naturally betwixt light anddarke- netfe;. the lifeof grace, and a death in finne; finceritie and prophanneffe ; the children of of God, and the wicked. Gods children,you know, in this world live as fheepe a- mongwolves : In the florally times of the Church, their perfecutorsare indeed evenwolves in the evening, for their infatiable crueltie , and unquenchable thirfl, in drinkingup the blond of the Saints : And in the Halcyon daies and faì- refl times of the Church, yet they have thole which will bee prickes in their eyes, and thornes in their fides. If they can- not vexe them in a higher degree,, yet they will bee fure to lay on loadewith bafe indignities, difgraces, handers, and lying imputations. And their hatred is of that llrange na- ture and qualitie, that it is difcharged even againfl the goodneffeof the goodly, their zeale, their forwardneffe in Religion, their faithfulneffe in their calling, and the like,,as againil its proper objeá. This is plaine in Ieremie : Ieremie neither borrowed on ufurie, nor lent onufurie;. hee was free from all colour ofgivingoffence, ordoing wrong : Nay, his gracious heart was wholly melted in compaf(ion, that hee wifhed that his headwere full of water, and his eyes a foun- taine ofteares , that hee might weepe day and night for the deftruaion ofhis people. And yet ofthatpeople every one contended againfl him ;, there was not a man but bee Furled him. The onely reafon was , becaufe whatfoever the Lord faid, that hefaithfully fpoke, and kept nothing backe, but (hewed them all the counfell ofGod.I t is yet more plaine in `David, Pfalme 38. 2o. They alfo that rewardevill forged, are mine adverfaries, becatif I follow geodneQ'e. The word there in the Originali infinuateth.fuch anextreme and dead- ly hatred , that from thence comes the Divels name, Satan. So that howfoever this enmitiebetwixt the worldand the children of light, bee many times bridled by the reflraining Spirit ofGod, fometimes by the ingenuoufnefeof the. wic- ked,, Chap.' y. 10.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=