The Crown of7<ighteoufler. 60i But others better, inmy poor undcrftanding expound it ofthofe Ethical or Moral Beafts, who with Demetrius, and the rabble that criedup thegreat Diana of the Idolatours Ephefians, fo violently withftood andloppofed Saint Paul, who cryed down that their abominable fuperftition at Eyhefur, 40.19. r9. in which place a great door, and effeftual was opened unto him; butthere were Many z Adverfaries, t Cor. t6.9. t Cor. 16. 8, 9. thofe Apoftles indeed experimenting the proofof what their Lord and Matter foretold them, that they muff be fent: forth even as fheep among a a Mat,io.t6. Wolves, who would attempt to tear them in pieces :' and which ofus in particular, t¢ncountersnot his difcouragements ? Yea, woe is me ! Wefeem to be fallen into C!aofe times, wherein many men ( as ifdirecîly b ihfatuated fromHeaven) out ofa b ira. 6, 70. grofs mifpriffion apprehend the Miniftery it felf the greateft inconvenience ; and ( that great cheat, that grand Pantomime of Chriftendom , the cunningJefuite ) now almoft bare-fac'd bath inftilled(as is feared) fo pernicious aprinciple into lath as are ( forought we can fee ) willing to be deceived, as to queftion the coffice it e Tim. s. r. felf, and to difpute the Inftitution ; as if they would have men Icons the Phyfitian Rem, u. when fickeft, and fhun the Chirurgionwhen foreft ; And (whichmuff be forgot- ten ) there not wanting fome, who are apt tocharge on.that fecret Calling, the occafion, if not the caufe of all the Calamities of this latter Age : Juft as thofe of whomAida reports, there they were wont towrite with Ink or blood on a glafs, and fo fet it againft the Moon, making all thofe fpots or blurres that were in the glafs, to be in the Moon, andnot at all in theglafs, upon which alone they were written : mean while , never at all anatomizing their own Ulcerous, Corrupt in- fides, or repenting for their d loathfome felf-abominations ( and among them as dProv e;, g. principle, for the contempt ofGods faithfulIwiniflers.) Which fins becoming fo'Ezek. is. ;t. Epidemical, and National, as they are, call for\Urath and Indignation from the Lord, who is here ftyled in my Text, the Righteous Judge. And yet, though this be a Fight, nevcrthelefs it is, for the quality, ,a [good] Fight, and that for there reáfons Firft ofall, becaufe its undertaken for the e Faith ofChrift, and for the Salva- e t Tim.6. ts. tiónof Souls, whereofeven one fingle one is more worth than a f whole World (Mar. 16.20. O what comfort will it be, in thedayofretribution, when a g faithfulMinifter, after éft iO1io? all his fharp conflifts with the wayward oppofitions of corrupt men, (hall fay: g;ia, g, ,g,' Loe me , and the h people, which thou haft given me, as the fruit ofmy labour Heb. 1. 13. in thy Gofpel, being able thus to give up an i account with joy, andnot with i ifeb. 13. 17. brief. Secondly, Becaufe its undertaken for a good reward, which is no lets than a Crown of Rigbteoufnefi ; What Saint Gregory faid ofafflictions for a good Confci- ence, will hold here alone, Confideratiopramii minuit vimflagelli, The confide-. ration of the Reward, abates of the difficulty of the Fight; even fo its noted of Mofet, that having refpeét unto the recompenfe of the reward, he preferred the reproach of Chrift to all the richeft treafures in rAigypt, Heb. u, 16, the fame was it likewife that animated that noble Prophet under all his difcouragements, and fruitlefs endeavours among men, Ifa. 49..q.. I have laboured in vain, and Bent my timefor nought, yet fareÿmy Judgment ie with theLord, andmy work, that is the reward ofmywork with the Lord ; who rewardeth his Minifters, fecundum laborer, though not fecundum proventum, as Saint Bernardfpeaks according to their Labour, and pious endeavours, which themfelves undergo in the Gofpel, though notaccordingto the fuccefsoftheir Labours, which is h Gods aloneto be- kttC®c 3.6: ftow. . And thus far of the words, in theirfirft acception, uttered by Saint Paul as an Apofl:le. f might next confider them alfo, as fpoken in the name of all other Chrilfians at large, evenofall fuc'h as, who love the appearingof theLord ChriftJefus at his coining. And underthat notionof them, we may obferve, That the Life ofa Chriftian is a continual warfare upon the Earth, fo¿hryfologuo, Chriflianomilitare efe, idquod vivit infeculo, fuitable unto that of fob, chap.7.r. Where the word tendered an a óinted
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